An Act of True Love Part I
by Mustard Lady
Summary: During a road trip with Bonnie, an unexpected reunion becomes a fight for survival when Woody, Buzz, and their friends are taken hostage by the brutal Spikes Toy Gang! How will they get out? Is Mitsy's good friend responsible for their capture? She insists he's innocent! Can the toys escape with their lives and at the same time find the truth? Some BuzzxJessie Mentions Bo Peep.
1. Chapter 1 Reflections

**First, I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, though it's still a few days away.**

 **Yes! At last, this is _THE_ story I've been waiting and waiting to share with you all! I've worked especially hard on this story, trying to make it right and to my satisfaction. I don't own Toy Story, or anything Pixar or Disney. I'm so excited about this one! It will be mostly about my OC Princess Mitsy (not in the heroine style that Jessie was in Toy Story of Terror or Trixie in Toy Story That Time Forgot), but it is a family/friendship adventure one, so don't worry, your favorite toys have their important roles to play. I've always wished that Pixar would put a young female doll in the Toy Story series who would be a daughter figure to Woody and a good pal to Slinky, but they never have, so I did in my fanfics. But don't worry. This story isn't _only_ about her. Like I said, it's family/friendship.**

 **All the toys tried to comfort Woody when Bo Peep left, but I wanted to add my input from my character's perspective. Hope you don't mind.**

 **I have always loved Lad, the dog from Albert Payson Terhune's novels, so I hoped that comparing the great collie to someone in here would be speaking highly of that toy's character.**

 **I know, I know: the toys have performed numerous acts of true love for each other in the series. So _what_ makes this one so different? Well, you'll have to read it all the way through to find out! **

**This chapter is going to be from my OC's POV.**

 **Please, PLEASE read and leave reviews. I hope you all enjoy this one. Here it is!**

* * *

Andy Davis' toys had been living with their new owner, Bonnie Anderson for quite some time now. They were all happy with their new friends and relished in the love from their little girl who cherished them. Of course, there were days that they missed Andy, old friends, and special things they used to do. Sometimes it made them feel sad. Other times they all felt warm inside reminiscing on the fun and good memories they'd made. Woody, Buzz, and their circle of friends-family, really-had been through a lot together, through thick and thin, the good times and the bad, the arguments and the unity, the insults and the cheers. Out of all their adventures, the most memorable was the great escape from Sunnyside Daycare, especially when they all had nearly perished in a fiery pit. They'd learned many lessons in their walk of life: about love and hate, forgiveness and bitterness, about trust and betrayal, holding on and letting go, about joy and heartache, dreams and disappointments. In all of those, they'd become stronger, especially in their family bond.

Princess Mitsy often, mostly during the night, reflected on how happy and protected she felt, surrounded by such an incredible circle of love and care. Mitsy loved her whole family, _even_ grouchy old Mr. Potato Head. She could never understand why he always seemed to be trying to point out the dark, negative side of things when she was just the opposite.

With all the good friends, there were a few that Mitsy held a special fondness for, ones she felt especially dear in her eyes, _the_ ones who she believed made all their happiness possible.

Rex, the dinosaur was thought of in that group. He was timid, sensitive, and often seemed afraid to face practically anything. Yet, he basically just wanted to be safe, noticed, and feel that he belonged. He was easily frightened, but so friendly, lovable, and wasn't afraid to show his feelings, ever. He could liven up any party, even if it was an off-handed remark made out of fear. Life would be so dull without him.

Mrs. Potato Head also was a sweet old thing, when she wasn't moody. She was a kind, caring, gushing motherly or grandmotherly figure to many of the toys. She always enjoyed brushing Mitsy's and Jessie's long hair, though Jessie was always annoyed by it, preferring to leave it in the same braid it had always been (unless someone mentioned how Buzz would like it). She was crazy about her three mischievous, smart, but at times troublesome 'adopted' alien 'sons'. Mrs. Potato Head was a blessing to have around, ready to comfort someone who was sad, and she could bring out the softer, more friendly side of her husband who absolutely adored her. Mitsy was grateful for her presence, and was glad she herself hadn't arrived at Andy's _before_ Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head got together, but _after!_

* * *

 **Bo Peep**

She was no longer presently with the gang, but Mitsy still loved Bo Peep. Not only had she been sweet, kind, and gentle, but Bo Peep was lovely, in both appearance and manner.

She had been sold in a yard sale years ago, and all of Andy's toys still missed her. But no one sorely missed the radiant shepherdess more than Woody. When she left, the grieving cowboy became deeply depressed and everyone wanted to make him feel better, but didn't know how and he refused to be comforted. His heart had been broken and he just wanted to give up.

One day not long after that fateful yard sale, Mitsy had picked a small bunch of white dogwood flowers and silently brought them to the heartbroken sheriff who was sitting by himself on the windowsill in Molly's bedroom, _his and Bo Peep's_ special spot. He looked at the sympathetic princess glumly, his countenance saying that he just wanted to be alone and turned his head away. Mitsy stared sadly at the floor, set the bouquet next to him, and quietly left the room. After several moments, he glanced down at the thoughtful but rejected gift and took them up in his hand. He inhaled their fragrance which brought a lump to his throat and began to pick the petals off one by one, mourning over his lost love. One would think it was impossible with so many other toys around, but Woody felt so terribly, painfully, incredibly lonely...lonelier than he ever had in his whole life! Nobody understood what he was going through, nobody! Later, after Molly had gone to bed, Mitsy sadly found the petals scattered on the floor, and trampled too. She was disheartened that Woody had treated her gift so thoughtlessly, but Barbie reminded her that he was hurting deeply and came up with another idea.

Two days later, Mitsy finally caught him alone on the stairs and nervously approached Woody. He huffed in annoyance when he heard footsteps that signaled his solitary pondering was being interrupted. Mitsy stopped when she heard his sigh and her heart sank. He slowly turned his head and was startled to see her there with her hands behind her back. His stomach filled with butterflies as he wasn't sure what she wanted but assumed that Mitsy was going to tell him how much he'd hurt feelings by crushing her gift. He was sick with guilt, and she looked as sad as he felt. She cautiously approached him but said nothing. He gritted his teeth. The princess bit her lip and reluctantly put her hands in front of her, which revealed a flower clasped in her fingers! But this one was different: it had a firm pipe cleaner stem and the petals were made of white sheet paper, folded upwards so that they spread out when opened. The cowboy grimaced and stared at the floor, unable to look into her eyes. She was a young woman but this act of love reminded him of an innocent little girl. His heart was all at the same time touched and pierced. Mitsy slowly came closer and held out the blossom, offering it to him. Woody couldn't stay angry at her. He was defeated by her pleading face and gently received it. He ran his fingers around the makeshift petals then faced her and slightly smiled sadly. He reached out his hand to her and she came to him. She stood next to him and he wrapped his arm around her waist like a father and patted her elbow. She looked down at him, still sad but grateful. _I'm so sorry, Big_ _G_ _uy. We miss her too!_ The princess signed with her fingers in Sign Language. Woody nodded and pulled her close for a hug where she wrapped her arms around his neck. When they pulled back, Woody was smiling sadly.

 _Thank you!_ He signed back. _And...and I'm sorry. I'm really sorry about...about the flow..._ Mitsy nodded, letting him know that he was forgiven, patted his shoulder, then started to walk away.

 _This one was Barbie's idea,_ She responded. _And we all know you're hurting. But we still need you!_ Woody gulped and nodded. Mitsy smiled weakly, then left him alone. But this time, he tenderly stroked the flower, then lay on his back on the stair, clenching the blossom in his fist and staring at it in the sunlight. The broken sheriff was convulsing with the major infection of losing the light of his life, and he felt cruelly cheated. Not all the hugs, words of comfort, or acts of kindness from well-meaning family members in the whole world could fill the heavy, gashed void in his heart. At least not right now. But as he gazed tenderly at the make-shift blossom, he slowly realized that he would have to force himself to accept his dear friends' good intentions, though they couldn't understand his pain, they did it because they cared about him. And he gradually needed to let them know that he still cared about them.

Bo Peep had been there when Mitsy first came to Andy's, and they had shared Molly's bedroom. Mitsy recalled the many late night conversations the two girls had had together, and how pretty she'd always thought Bo was. Bo wasn't just a good friend, and Woody's beloved girlfriend, but she had been the closest thing Mitsy had known to a mother. Bo was firm but kind, soft-spoken yet so wise, pretty and elegantly ladylike, but most of all, so understanding. Mitsy remembered how Bo had sweetly sang to her when she had nightmares, and hugged her warmly if she needed comfort. Also, Bo's heart was always open for new toys. She'd welcomed Jessie without reserve, and tried to help the cowgirl too when she had restless nights also. Yes, Mitsy missed Bo as much as everyone else did, save Woody, and hoped that someday...someday the cowboy's dream would come true and the shepherdess would be reunited with Woody!

* * *

 **Jessie**

Of course, Jessie was absolutely included in Mitsy's range of closest friends! Sweet, energetic, mischievous, cute, beautiful, sneaky, tough, friendly, feisty, caring Jessie was a sisterly ray of sunshine to Mitsy. They shared many secrets together of their inner feelings, bathed in the fun and happy times of life, were linked together with an indescribable kinship as they'd both come from tragic pasts, rejoiced in each other's successes, of course teased each other, and did their best to comfort each other when it was needed. When the cowgirl had first come to Andy's, Mitsy had been ashamed that she felt secretly jealous of all the welcoming attention that Jessie was getting from the other toys, but especially Woody. The feelings had crept up on her before she knew what was happening. She'd kept telling herself, _"_ _Be sensible, Mitsy. Come on. You're not being fair to Jessie._ _You had your turn already! Now it's hers, and she's going to need kind toys to make her feel at home."_ But Jessie had never detected it at all-she was too busy enjoying her new life out of storage, plus chasing after a certain Space Ranger!-, and Mitsy did her best to be as kind, warm, and friendly as possible. Soon, the feelings had evaporated and the two dolls' fond relationship had been secured.

Jessie was a good friend, like an older sister, and it was so difficult for Mitsy to recall what life had been like before Jessie, the Texas Rose had ever entered it! She was a truly much needed delight, definitely a kindred spirit.

 **Buzz Lightyear**

It was difficult to put into just the right words what a pillar to the clan Buzz Lightyear was, not just in Mitsy's life, but also to the whole gang. Everybody respected Buzz tremendously, how could they not? He was strong, courageous, sincere, level-headed, considerate, caring, thoughtful, very loyal, and protective of those he cared about. In the midst of chaos, Buzz could calmly call order with his firm but caring voice.

Mitsy trusted Buzz's judgment on things and usually looked to him for guidance when Woody wasn't there to offer it. Mitsy had always felt like he was an uncle figure in her life. She nicknamed him "Super Agent" because he was so smart and always seemed to know just what to do. His affection for her was demonstrated in his smile at anything that made her happy and how he tried to help her through the challenges of life for a toy. She always felt warm inside when she saw him and Jessie together, especially since they'd gotten married.

But Mitsy also was grateful to Buzz for the time he came to her rescue and saved her life. She'd never forget the day that Andy was playing outside with his toys in a friend's backyard and the friend accidentally tossed Mitsy over a chain-linked fence into the next door neighbor's yard. Andy was about to retrieve the small princess doll when the boys were called inside for lunch and left. Mitsy had landed on the neighbor's patio and ran for her life when a huge pit bull that ate and demolished anything and everything he could dig his teeth into, had chased her toward the fence when she tripped and fell. The monstrous dog was right above her, his mighty jaws wide open and drooling. And she'd almost fainted from fright when a baseball hit her would've been killer right in the head: Mitsy opened her eyes and saw Buzz, practically standing on top of her, blocking the dog's attack with a tennis racket! He tossed the ball and the dog ran after it, and the next thing Mitsy knew, Buzz had swiftly lifted her off the ground, carried her to the fence, and told her to start climbing it while he started in, whacking the pit bull left and right with the racket. Woody helped her across the top of the fence as Buzz climbed up. Then the dog had grabbed him! But he clomped down hard on the dog's head with his weapon, which freed him, then he'd hurled himself over the fence to safety. Never giving a thought to his own comfort, the fearless Space Ranger just wanted to make sure his little friend was safe, for which she'd looked up at him shyly with a grateful smile and said a very soft, "Thank you, Buzz."

He just rubbed her arm and grinned, "No problem!"

* * *

 **Slinky Dog**

And then there was Slinky Dog! What a gem he was to Mitsy. Slinky was her all time side-kick, friend, tag-a-long, confidant, pal, and companion. They did so much together, and would do anything for each other. She thought he was cute and adorable, but ever since he'd found her behind Andy's toy box, his friendliness, down home charm, and loyalty had instantly captured her heart, and they'd become inseparable. They looked out for each other in so many ways: if she was hiding in a secluded spot seeking solitude from sadness, trying to hide anger or whatever, she didn't know how he did it, but Slinky was always the one able to find her when no one else could; the dog relished in the way that Mitsy stroked his ears and rubbed the top of his head when he was down in the dumps, the kind caress always a refreshing pick-me-up; he didn't care how small he was, if she was harassed or attacked by anyone, he would step in to defend her, no matter what; she would adamantly give a piece of her mind to anyone who made fun of the dog for his size, age, build, etc.; he enjoyed the special attention and her encouragement to put his canine skills to good use; Slinky was _always_ there if she needed a friendly paw to hold onto or an encouraging, friendly dog lick on the cheek; sometimes after a stressful day, Mitsy would scratch his coils, making him laugh and happily wave his paws in the air; he might have been old, not the huskiest or most glamorous blockbuster action figure, but she loved him for who he was. To Mitsy, Slinky was worth his weight in gold, however little that was. They would do _anything_ for each other! They were the best of friends.

* * *

 **Woody**

But _the_ one whom she admired for his selfless leadership skills, the one who made her feel cared for with a kind word when she needed it most, the one whose loving arms usually sheltered her when she was afraid or hurt, the one who gave Mitsy the feeling that she was safe when she held her small hand in his big one, the one whose genuinely gentle, caring eyes made her feel comforted and whose compassionate manner sent her heart on fire to love others and be a good friend, was _Woody!_ Ah, wonderful Woody. To Mitsy, he was a diamond in the rubble. He reminded her so much of someone she once knew and cared about very much, that's what drew her to the cowboy: his character. His kindness, compassion, care, tenacity, and determination to make things right was a shining role model to her and inspired the princess to be the best toy that she could be. She wanted to please him, and above all, she hoped to be just like him someday: seeking the best interests of his friends, to be dependable, to do _anything_ to protect those he cared for-whatever it cost-to be there for their kid, _that_ was what she wanted to be like.

Mitsy liked to call him "Big Guy", that was _her_ nickname for the beloved sheriff. She looked up to Woody as a kind, sometimes frustrated and sometimes flawed, but ever so faithful and caring, loving father figure.

Years ago when Andy's mom had bought her from Goodwill and the toys got to know her, Woody grew to sense a special responsibility to her. Buzz was his best friend, hands down; Jessie was his wonderful little sister whom he would always look after, Bullseye was Woody's happy-go-lucky, dependable horse, and Slinky was his loyal companion. In the human-esq roles as toys, Woody thought of Mitsy as "the little one" of the family (partly because of her short stature), thus earning her the nickname "Little Bit", given to her by and _only_ used by Woody. If Woody made himself available, if Mitsy was very sad or scared, she knew that she could run to him where he'd receive her with open arms. He would sit down with her, and listen as she poured out her troubles, and do the best he could to give the advice or consolation she needed. To Mitsy, Woody was _the_ hero.

* * *

 **Jack**

Boy, did Woody remind Mitsy of Jack. Oh, Jack! Jack had the most special place in Mitsy's heart, one that _no_ toy on earth could replace. And although Woody's and Slinky's spots in there were right in line with Jack's, Jack's was much bigger. Jack was a stuffed German Shepherd dog who had been owned with Mitsy by the same sweet little girl but sadly, she'd been killed in a car accident and then the two toys had become separated when the house burned. Jack had been Mitsy's very first friend she'd ever had, and not only that, but according to Mitsy, he was also the best one. He had been wise, gentle, caring, brave, steadfast, and kind, the best stuffed dog any child could ask for. He would never, ever harm anyone unless he saw them doing it to another toy without a reason. He was very protective and unlike other toys, he had an advantage over possible enemies: he was large, muscular, and strong. He was also smart as a whip: many humans and toys sometimes couldn't place faces with names, but Mitsy's big dog had an untainted, steel memory and could easily remember even a new acquaintance for days on end. Most importantly, he'd had a caring heart. He was _her_ dog, and she would always love him, no matter what! In Mitsy's eyes and imagination, he was _Sunnybank Lad_ in the flesh...rather, the _cotton_ in this case.

It had been a lifetime since she and Jack had been together on that last day, and she still didn't know whether he was even dead or alive. She still carried a faint glimmer of hope that _maybe...maybe_ there was just a possibility that he _could_ be alive? But that was one _very_ long shot. She'd asked Bo Peep several times in the past if it was worth it for her to hope and dream of being reunited with Jack someday, since she didn't know for sure if he still existed. Bo Peep had always smiled and given her the same answer. "Keep dreaming and hoping, dear." Bo had always said so kindly in that motherly manner that Mitsy had cherished. "We don't know what happened to him. But you have to dwell on the good in that. Maybe someday you'll see him again. Until you hear different, keep on dreaming. _Never_ let go of that hope! Not ever!"

Mitsy thought about her beloved dog every day and how much she still did miss her very best friend. Jack would've been so happy to know that she was living with a wonderful child and of the great and marvelous friends she had.

Jessie had been left behind by Emily, Woody had first lost Bo to a yard sale, then Andy gave him up. Bonnie's toys, old and new, _were_ a family and stuck together. They realized that life is precious, and through the years they all felt a special warmth and assurance being near each other, knowing everyone was safe especially after the various perils they'd been through together. They'd had many hardships, some very painful, but there was one that they hadn't actually experienced yet involving a friend, though they'd certainly come to very close encounters with it. There was no way they knew what lay ahead...not Hamm, not Buzz, not even Woody could foresee it. None of the toys, none of them could've known at one point just how much the princess would desperately need the security of their love, friendship, and care as they tried to help her cope through a harsh crisis that deeply crushed her...

* * *

" **And so it begins..." I hope your curiosity is rising!**


	2. Chapter 2 The Underdog

**Need to pay attention here. Some trivial activities could pay off later in the story!**

 **A little Buzz/Jessie in here.**

* * *

It was a warm spring day and Bonnie was at Sunnyside Daycare. It was only half a day and then her spring break started. Her toys at home were making the most of their free time but also waiting for her excited return. Dolly and the Peas-in-a-pod were with Bonnie. Hamm and Buttercup were rolling their eyes as Mr. Pricklepants was trying to impress the three aliens by reading them a poem. All they did was stand and say, "Ooo."

"Absolutely gripped, aren't they?" Hamm smarted.

"Humph." The unicorn nodded.

Rex was twirling around, trying to practice dancing. He wasn't the smoothest dancer on the floor and he didn't want to embarrass Trixie or himself again. He twirled on one foot without falling. "Oh!" He yelped. "I did it! I did it! I finally did it! I did it! Trixie! Trixie, I did it!" Rex started twirling around all excited, not watching where he was going. Then...WHAM! Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head's pieces went everywhere.

"Hey! Why don't you be more careful?!" Potato Head growled.

"It was an accident! Sorry!" Rex cried.

"An accident? Ha! 'So was the Trojan Horse'!"

"I was practicing my dancing."

"Oh, is that so? Well, watch where you're going, Kelly-spilla!" Potato Head spat.

"Get out of here, Rex!" Mrs. Potato Head fumed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Rex pleaded earnestly, backing away.

* * *

"Okay. Now, let's try that log toss again," Buzz said. "Hey, loosen up there. Don't grip the bag so tightly. That's better. Now pull back. Good. Now lift it off the bed, twirl, and blast off!" He stood there watching, hands on hips.

"Ugh!" Came the response. "Ah. Oh. Buzz, I can't lift this."

"Okay. Here. Let me give you a hand." Buzz walked over to Mitsy and helped her lift up the bag of paint bottles, but it was a little heavy for her. "Here you go." He backed up. "Okay, now swing it around, and then let it go. Try...try to keep it off the ground." Mitsy swung, but resulted in whacking Buzz's face. "Eh, hey."

"Oh! Oh, Buzz. I'm so sorry," she sighed, shy and embarrassed.

"A-hem. It's all right." He rubbed his forehead and tried to regain focus. "Try again." Mitsy tried. She swung and tossed the bag toward the night stand where it was supposed to land, but it hit the floor instead. Her shoulders sagged in frustration and she just stood there. Buzz patted her shoulder. "I think that's enough tossing for today. Come on, let's practice the Underdog again."

Buzz had decided that it was time for the princess to learn how to defend herself, though he inwardly felt guilty about it being long overdue. He was teaching her some maneuvers in case they ever came face to face with brutes again. Being short and petite, not robust and muscular like he was, she was an easy target and he wanted that to change. They'd been working on different moves for 5 days now. Mitsy was all for it when Buzz had told her about the idea, but developing the skills was much more difficult than she'd expected. Buzz was a very patient, calm trainer though, no matter how many times he had to show her over again.

The "Underdog" was a quick-paced move Buzz had made up himself. He thought it might come in handy some time. He was playing the role of the bad guy. "Okay, let's do this." Buzz said. He stood at the foot of Bonnie's bed while Mitsy lay on her back at the pillows. Buzz was supposed to be an approaching villain about to attack a weaker victim who he had 'cornered' at a dead end. He put on the meanest face he could and started walking threateningly toward the princess, looking like he was going to grab her. Mitsy looked at him and started snickering. Buzz stopped in his tracks and put his hands on his hips. "What are you doing? What's so funny?" He asked, annoyed.

"I'm sorry, Buzz," Mitsy giggled. "I know you're supposed to look scary, but unless we're actually in trouble, that look on your face always cracks me up. I can't help it." Buzz scratched his head, looking confused.

"Okay, okay," he said lowly. "Can we get serious now? Concentrate, will you? Pretend it's not me. Uh, pretend I'm...the Prospector." Mitsy's instantly clouded over with disgust. "M mm," Buzz grinned. "That's more like it. Let's try again." And he ran back to his spot.

"Buzz, turn your helmet on. That will help." Mitsy told him. "You always look more official and fierce with it on, like a real Space Ranger."

"I do, huh?" Buzz pressed the button. "Okay!" he said, trying to sound harmful. "I'm coming after you, Shorty!" He stomped toward her ominously and Mitsy lay on her back and looked up at him frightfully, pretending to be afraid. He came closer. He just reached her when her face turned sour and she "kicked" his foot. Buzz gave her the sign for "roll". She started rolling underneath his feet, left and right, and he tried not to step on her.

"Ow," she groaned as her elbow banged into his shoe and she stopped what she was doing.

"Keep going! You've got to keep moving," Buzz ordered, and Mitsy snapped back into action. She raised herself up on her hands and knees under his legs which tripped him forward.

"What do I do again?" Mitsy asked.

"Kick my shins, then grab my hands behind my back, and keep them down as hard as you can."

"That's right." Mitsy kicked his ankles, pounced on his back, grabbed his hands, and leaned on them as hard as she could with her arms crossed over her chest. Then Buzz stood up, with her still hanging on. He twisted and turned, acting like he struggled from her grip. She put her full weight against his back to knock him down, but it was no use. "Buzz," she grimaced, "you're squeezing my fingers. And there's no way you're going down by _me!"_

"All right." And Buzz let go. "Well, you're getting better. We still need to practice 'til we get it down perfectly, but your improving."

"Thanks," Mitsy mumbled. "Either you're too heavy or I'm too light. Couldn't I practice on someone else?"

"You _could,_ but this isn't supposed to be easy. Remember, it's a matter of training. I don't think you could find a more challenging target in here than me," Buzz smirked and Mitsy chuckled. "All right, one more thing. I want you to kick me a few more times. Your force could use some brushing up."

"Buzz, I don't want to hurt you." Mitsy shook her head timidly.

Buzz smiled widely and laughed. Mitsy had small feet made out of cotton sock material, and his plastic boots were in no danger of pain. "Don't worry. _You_ won't hurt _me._ Now give me a real good one, right here. Hard!" Mitsy gave it a try: once. That was more than enough.

"Oh!" She groaned at the pain in her toes and collapsed. She grimaced, rubbing her foot. "Ooo." She moaned. Buzz took off his helmet. "Uh, I didn't hurt you...did I?" She asked meekly, then rolled her eyes. _That was a really lame question. This is embarrassing. Oh, brother._

"No," Buzz grinned. _I hardly felt it._ "Uh, you okay?"

"I suppose," Mitsy sighed. "Can we call it recess, please?"

"Sure thing."

"Hey, guys, how's it going?" Came a very cheery voice. Jessie did a somersault off the basket onto the bed. "Well, how goes it, Coach?" Jessie asked her husband, smacking his arm and kissing his cheek.

"Oh, we're getting there. Improving." Buzz smiled. Jessie looked at Mitsy.

"What d'ya say, Your Highness?" Jessie asked excitedly, leaning down to Mitsy's level.

"I hope whoever I come up against isn't built like Buzz," Mitsy said. "I mean the hard plastic. Ouch. He's a 'tough' trainer." Jessie and Buzz chuckled. "Jessie, how do you do this kind of self defense stuff so easily? You didn't even have to learn! It comes to you as naturally as yodeling."

"I guess it's one of the advantages that comes with being a rough and tough cowgirl." Then she looked at Buzz with eager eyes. "My turn! My turn." Jessie squealed. Buzz chuckled at his hyper wife. Being married didn't take away her bouncy spirit: in fact, now that he was officially hers, wedded bliss seemed to have boosted her energy, if that was even possible!

"Okay." Buzz smiled. "Watch this, Your Highness." Buzz cupped his hands and Jessie stepped into them. He squatted really low to the bed, then shot up like a rocket and Jessie soared straight up towards the ceiling. In midair, she she flipped over backwards then boosted herself off the wall and flipped again, then hopped onto the nightstand and took a flying leap back up. She grabbed a hold of the ceiling fan, letting it spin her around in dizzy circles.

"Yyyeehhaaawww!" She cried happily, with her arm extended out to the world. Buzz wasn't just warmed up by his wife's delight, but he had a dreamy look on his face as she spun around and around up in the air, her feet happily dangling, her hat flapping, and her long, red braid waving from the wind. To him, she was so beautiful, and special, and so...so...just amazing. Mitsy noticed his face and grinned to herself.

 _Still so in love. I like that._ The princess thought. _Woody always looked at Bo Peep that way. Always._ She felt a slight sadness as she thought of how she missed the motherly shepherdess. She was amazed at Jessie's agility, but it also made her feel inadequate.

"Wwwwhhheee!" Jessie yodeled, as she dropped back down to earth, did a hand stand on her husband's shoulders, flipped over again, then landed on both feet. She bowed then stood tall with her hands on her hips. "Well?" She asked eagerly. "What d'ya think?"

Mitsy sighed with a weak grin. "That's what you call falling with style, Jessie." The princess said halfheartedly as Buzz smiled. "You're really good at athletics. But I don't think I'll ever get to the point where I can do it like you do. I've always been more of a ballerina type then an acrobat."

"Uh..." Buzz snickered, clearing his throat. "That's not how I remember it." Mitsy stared at him with a defeated look. Ever since the first day that the princess had appeared in Andy's room, taking everybody by surprise with her 'crashing presence', it seemed to become a catcha habit of hers. For a girl who was graceful, feminine, and ladylike, Mitsy throughout the years had seemed to form a completely unintentional habit of 'crashing' into things or other toys, always drawing an unwanted type of attention, and always feeling so embarrassed about it.

"I know, but please don't say it," Mitsy begged the smirking Space Ranger. "Why do I have to be so clumsy? Do you think I'll ever get this right?"

"Aw, sure you will. You can't expect to learn everything perfectly overnight. Buzz said that you're making progress, so don't be so hard on yourself." Jessie smiled and gave Mitsy's arm a playful punch.

Buzz spoke up. "What you need to do is relax and focus. I know you want to learn it all quickly. But if you get all tense, you'll mess up. Don't worry. You'll get it. We just need to keep at it. Believe me, when the time comes for you to need it, you'll know what to do."

"You think so?" Mitsy raised her eyebrows.

"Aw, sure." Jessie chimed in. "If the time ever comes that you have to protect yourself, all that Buzz has taught you will come together all at once. You'll do it without even realizing or contemplating it beforehand."

Mitsy smiled. "Well, that's something to look forward to," she said sarcastically.

"My hat! Has anyone seen my hat?!" Came a desperate cry from the closet. Everybody who came from Andy's gang looked at each other and grinned. The toys hopped off the bed. Trixie and Slinky walked up to them.

"Sounds like someone needs our help," Buzz grinned.

"What's the matter with Woody?" Trixie asked. She cocked her head curiously.

"Sounds like he lost his hat again." Slinky answered.

"Yep." Jessie added. Woody ran from the closet, anxiety written all over his face. He came to them panting and looking so pitifully helpless.

"Have any of you guys seen my hat?" He asked breathlessly. "I can't find it! Will you guys please help me?!" He looked so desperate, as if the world was coming to an end and his friends tried not to laugh at him.

"Sure, sure, cowboy. Just calm down," Buzz grinned, patting Woody's shoulder.

"I've got to find it before Bonnie gets home!" Woody cried, wringing his hands.

"Don't worry. We'll help you." Trixie said.

"Sheriff, get it together," Jessie said. "Just simmer down, you're acting worse than a mother hen."

"Woody, it's okay," Mitsy smiled. "We'll find it. You've lost it before and always gotten it back."

"Maybe mini Buzz snuck back in here and took it." Trixie teased, grinning innocently. Woody sighed heavily and stared at her, very unamused.

"I hardly think so," Woody groaned. "Guys, I'm serious. If Bonnie finds me without it..."

"No need to panic, pal," Slinky said. "Come on. Let's go look." The toys split up to search.

* * *

"The way he's carrying on, you'd think he'd been shipped to China against his will," Trixie commented.

"A cowboy or cowgirl and their hat are inseparable," Jessie remarked. "Though Woody does seem to treat his hat like it's his precious baby." The toys searched all over the room for Woody's hat.

"Yoohoo, Sheriff!" Buttercup finally called out and Bullseye ran to Woody with his hat in his mouth. Woody clutched his beloved and set it safely on his head.

"My hat!" Woody cheered. "Oh, thank you, guys! Thank you. Where was it?"

"It was with the props we were putting away from the last play," Mr. Pricklepants spoke up, "though I can't imagine how it got there. Your keen horse showed me where it was."

"Thanks a lot, Buddy," Woody smiled and Bullseye licked his master, happy to help. Then Woody scooped up Pricklepants in a hug. "Oh, thank you, sir! Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Everyone was cut off guard.

"Yuck," Buttercup moaned, sticking out his tongue and shaking his head. "Bleh."

"Hey, cowboy, you don't have to overdo it!" Jessie remarked.

"Oh, that is quite all right," Pricklepants said nervously after Woody put him down. "I'm honored that I was able to be of some use in reuniting you with your most endearing wardrobe." All the girls giggled and " _oohed"._

"Bonnie's coming!" Hamm yelled. Several toys scattered while the rest froze. Bonnie burst into the room, threw her schoolbag on the floor, scooped up some toys (as many as she could gather in her arms), and flopped down excitedly on the bed.

"Vacation! I'm on vacation, everyone," Bonnie exclaimed to her toys. "And I have a surprise. We're going on a trip tonight. Oh, I've got to pack. Who wants to help me?" She glanced around, scanning her toys. "You, Buttercup. You can be my strong pack mule. Bullseye, you can help. And Jessie, as the sheriff's deputy, you make sure that they do it right and that we don't forget anything." And with that, she grabbed her three comrades and delved into the closet. "Whoo!"

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3 The RoadTrip

**I'm an oldies fan. Various quotations in this chapter.**

* * *

"Bonnie, time to go, honey," Mrs. Anderson said at 4:45 as she stood in her daughter's bedroom doorway.

"Okay, Mommy!" Bonnie exclaimed, bouncing off her bed. "I'm ready to go!"

"Do you have everything packed?"

"Yes, Mommy," Bonnie answered. "Can I bring some toys?"

"Yes, but not your whole menagerie." Mrs. Anderson grinned. Knowing Bonnie, if she could, she would take all her toys along with her on the trip so that none of them would feel left out.

Bonnie knelt on the floor and unzipped her wheeled tote. "Let's go, everyone!" She exclaimed. "Let's see, who shall I take? Hmm. Fearless Rex," Bonnie named them as she placed them in the bag, one by one. "Potato Head, my Persian Trixie queen, Feisty cowgirl Jessie, Super Buzz, the Little Princess That Could...and most important of all, the brave Sheriff. Sorry, everyone else. You have to stay at home and keep an eye on the house, and make sure that no intruders ruin my bedroom, okay?" Bonnie zipped her bag and was about to walk out when she noticed Slinky. He didn't get to go places with her very often. "You wanna come too? Okay." Bonnie grabbed him and put him in the bag with his friends. Slinky was delighted to go along. This was a treat for him. "Bye, toys! I'll be back tomorrow night." And she was out the door.

"Oh, Slink. Bonnie brought you too!" Mitsy smiled, inside the bag. "I'm glad."

"Me too." Slinky panted happily. "I always seem to miss out on a lot of fun and adventure when I have to stay home."

"Yep. Sure am glad you could join us, Slink." Woody said, playfully patting his pal's head.

"Do you suppose we'll have anything exciting happen on this trip?" Rex asked.

"I hope so." Jessie said. "We'll die of boredom if we don't."

"I'm with you, Jessie." Trixie added. "Mishaps and adventures make wonderful stories to share when we come home."

"I wouldn't count on much out of the ordinary happening," Buzz spoke up. "We're just going to be at Bonnie's cousin, Jamie's, and I don't think she could have any toys close to grandeur as the Battlesaurs."

* * *

For the first half hour, the toys in the trunk were doing impersonations of people in movies and on TV shows. Slinky went first and stood in front of everybody. "Okay, here I go," he said. _"_ _'_ _Stop! Stop! Citizen's arrest! Citizen's arrest_ _'_ _."_

"Gomer Pyle in the Andy Griffith Show!" Everybody said together. Slinky frowned.

"I know, but let me finish. I'm having fun."

"Okay."

" ' _But you wasn't on no emergency call_ _'_ _,"_ Slinky tried to make his voice sound more squeaky and southern. "' _You made an illegal U-turn. Now write yourself out a ticket... Boob? Why that's insulting the face of the public! There ought to be a law that covers that_ _'_ _."_ Everyone was laughing. "Well, y'all guessed that one. Why don't you do the next one, Rex?"

"Oh, okay," Rex said shakily. He took the center stage. At first, he just stood there, uncertain. "I...uh...hee, hee." He nervously twiddled his little fingers.

"Do something, Rex," Jessie said. Rex wasn't good at disguising his voice and his act put everybody in stitches...well, some of them.

" _'Oh, ho, ho, ho, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck...(wheezing...trying to get his voice out) Oh, Chuck! Chuck, get in here! Oh, Chuck! Oh, Chuck! Oh, Chuck! (whining) Chuck! Chuck!' "_ Rex squealed loudly.

"Pipe down, you loud mouth," Potato Head snapped. "You want Bonnie and her parents to hear us?"

"Let him finish," Buzz scolded.

"I got it!" Woody stood up. "Ferdie in _Hold That Ghost."_

"Yes!" Rex squealed in relief, happy to let someone else perform. He rapidly took his seat again.

"Uh-huh." Potato Head muttered. "And how did you expect us to figure that out?"

"I had no idea who it was, Rex." Trixie admitted. "The title _Hold That Ghost_ doesn't ring a bell. I guess I'll have to look it up on YouTube."

"If it isn't outdated by now." Potato Head added.

"My turn." Woody announced and stood up straight and tall. _" 'And I hate to stand here and try your patience, but…' "_

"Then don't," Potato Head interrupted.

Woody raised his voice angrily and clenched his fists for his performance. " ' _Either I'm dead right or I'm crazy!_ _'_ _"_

"You got the crazy part right," Potato Head said sarcastically. "That should be your new motto, Sheriff." Woody's arms dropped to his sides and he glared.

"That was good, Woody," Mitsy smiled. "But I can't quite place it."

"Well, here. Let me try again." Woody ended up having to explain his imitation of Jefferson Smith in _Mr. Smith Goes to Washington._ Potato Head did a below average Rick in _Casablanca._ Jessie was the perfect Ellie Mae from _The Beverly Hillbillies_ _._ Buzz gave a stealthily bass voiced performance of the great detective Sherlock Holmes in _Dressed to Kill._ Mitsy tried the best impersonation she could as the efficient but sometimes quirky Tara from _Sue Thomas FBEye._

The Andersons stopped to eat in a fast-food restaurant. Bonnie grabbed Rex and Trixie to go inside with her. "Hey, everyone, let's have an arm wrestling match!" Jessie piped up. "That's something Rex and Trixie don't have to participate in."

"Now _that_ sounds like a plan," Buzz said eagerly.

"Ooo, yeah!" Woody slapped his knee.

"Count me out," Slinky said.

"Yeah, me too." Mitsy added.

"Aw, come on. Let's everybody play," Woody smiled. "It'll be fun."

"That's right," Jessie said.

"I think not," Mitsy said. "I'll just watch."

"Chicken," Potato Head said under his breath.

"Hey! I heard that," Mitsy squinted at him suspiciously.

"Come on, Buzz! So, _Space Ranger,_ are ya ready to lose?" Woody asked smugly, crossing his arms and smiling with a daring look on his face.

"Don't even think about it, cowboy," Buzz teased back.

"Aw, no! _I'm_ going to whomp the whole lot of ya!" Jessie added proudly.

"We'll see, Jessie." Mitsy corrected the cowgirl. "You might get a surprise." Jessie frowned at the princess.

"They ain't gonna beat me or my name ain't Jessie Pride Lightyear!" Potato Head quit early. Every time he went up against someone, his arm fell off. Next was Buzz versus Jessie. Jessie smirked at her husband who wasn't gripping her hand as tightly as he could have. Jessie pressed harder, and Buzz's arm easily came down. Naturally, he let her win. "I won!" Jessie announced proudly. "Okay, _W-ooo-dd-yyy,"_ She squinted at her brother. "I'm gonna beat ya quicker than you can say, ' _There's a snake in my boot'!"_

"Oh ho, no you're not!" Woody exclaimed. "You are _not_ taking me down, Missy!"

"Don't call me that," Jessie retorted. "I'm not a little kid. Come on. Bring on the action!"

"Let's ride!" Woody declared, then glanced smugly at the other toys. "Don't worry, guys. I've got this covered."

"Uh-huh," Potato Head said crossing his arms, interested in who was going to win this match.

"Buzz, just make sure they don't tear each other to scraps," Mitsy chuckled. Buzz grinned.

"On the other hand, let them," Potato Head remarked. "That would be more entertaining to watch than this."

"You don't know how to enjoy much, do ya?" Slinky asked the spud.

"Okay," Buzz counted down. "On your mark, get set... _go!"_ Woody and Jessie wasted no time and grabbed each other's hands firmly. They groaned and grimaced as they tried and tried to pull each other down, both determined to come out the winner.

"C...come on, Sheriff. Gi...give it up!" Jessie said through gritted teeth, trying to jerk the cowboy's arm down to her advantage.

"Not...not a chance, Wrangler Jane!" Woody growled, his arm shaking from his stony hold on her hand.

"Come on, Jessie." Buzz said encouragingly. "Don't let this guy get you down."

"Oh. well, thanks a lot, Buzz," Woody groaned, but kept his eyes on the cowgirl and stiffened his grip. Woody had learned a long time ago, _too many times_ that is, not to let himself get distracted when competing with Jessie in anything. The minute he'd lose focus, Jessie would see her chance and use it to her advantage and outdo him, whether it was wrestling, racing, or some other competitive sport. But not this time: Woody was a seasoned though not totally undefeated competitor now after a little over a decade of Jessie coming out on top of him.

"Didn't work, Buzz. Nice try though." Jessie said. "But don't worry. He's not gonna win!"

"You're helping her? No fair!" Woody exclaimed, but didn't flinch. In fact, he clasped his hold even harder.

"Go, cowgirl. Take him down!" Potato Head nudged Jessie on the shoulder. She nodded and scrunched up her face. "Put the big-headed bloke in his rightful place." Jessie chuckled, but Woody growled.

"Go, Woody." Slinky said, wagging his tail. "Come on. Go ahead. Show 'em how it's done."

"Come on, Woody!" Mitsy cheered. "You can do it." Woody and Jessie squinted at each other, neither of them about to give up.

"Who's the big boss around here, huh?" Slinky edged Woody on. "We all know who wears the shiny badge in Bonnie's room."

"Hey! Watch what you're saying," Jessie groaned and glared at Slinky. Woody wasted no time, and in a split second, jerked Jessie's arm down on the art container they were using for a table! Jessie was so taken aback. She just gaped, eyes wide and mouth open, too stunned to respond.

"Yes! Yes! Ha, ha. I did it! I beat ya! Finally." Woody smiled widely, and cheered in triumph with his arms raised, shaking happily in the air.

"NO!" Jessie hollered, clenching her fists. " _Nnnoo!_ This is not happening to me! Buzz, tell me he didn't just do that!"

"Sorry, but it looks like he did," Buzz shrugged.

"Yeah!" Slinky cheered, bobbing up and down.

"You did it, Woody! You won," Mitsy said happily, coming up behind him and playfully shoving his hat down in front of his eyes. He chuckled happily.

"Our sheriff is not easily taken down," Slinky nodded in agreement.

"Well, nice job, cowboy." Buzz grinned, patting his buddy's shoulder as Jessie smacked _his_ hand.

"Hey. Who's side are you on, anyway?" Jessie glared at her husband.

"Now, Jess." Buzz smiled innocently. "Don't be a sorehead."

"No! No, no," Jessie pouted, puffing out her lip and glaring at the cowboy. "You are _not_ going to do that again!" Woody smirked, crossing his arms. "I'll get even with you, cowboy. You _will pay_ for this. You can bet your boot." Jessie threatened.

Woody knew that his sister's threat could end up really smearing him, but he was so happy with his unusual victory that he brushed it aside, deciding to worry about it later. "Come on, Mitsy. You haven't tried it yet," Woody said. He leaned forward, staring with eager eyes. _"_ _Come on. Your turn."_ He drummed his fingers on the container.

"Aw, no," Mitsy smiled sheepishly. "No way. I'll get clobbered. You guys are going to smear me."

"Aw, come on," Woody said. Jessie nudged Mitsy forward with a daring grin and the princess rolled her eyes.

"Oh, all right." Mitsy sighed. "You're gonna beat me, but I'll do it. I know I'm going to lose, but I'm not going down without a fight. Now, no letting me win," she warned. "That's not playing fair. I want to fight this thing out. _Do not_ humor me, okay?"

"Oh? Well, okay. You asked for it!" Woody smirked.

"Okay. Three, two, one...go!" Jessie announced. Mitsy tried hard.

"Come on, come on." Woody teased. "I can barely feel anything. Your hand's as light as a feather."

"Aw, come on, Princess. You can do better than that," Buzz said. "Tactics, Your Highness. Remember what I've showed you?"

"Th-this isn't...quite the same thing, Buzz." Mitsy shook her head, trying to stiffen her fist inside Woody's much larger hand.

"Come on, give it some muscle," Potato Head added. "You're not even trying."

"I...I'm doing the best I can!" Mitsy grimaced with her eyes squeezed shut. Her body was tense as she tried to strengthen her hold, while Woody calmly sat there, perfectly relaxed, with his large hand solidly holding her smaller squirming one. He wasn't even flinching, not a twitch. He was trying not to snicker. Mitsy tried and tried but it was no use. She groaned at her futile efforts. "Oh. I...I knew this wouldn't work."

"Would you like me to tickle him for you?" Jessie asked the princess, pounding her fists together. "I'll be glad to give ya a hand, Your Highness."

"Don't even think about it, Jess," Woody warned, his eyes narrowing.

"No thanks, Jessie." Mitsy answered. "I said, ' ** _no letting me win_** '. Ugh. Woody...you...you...I'm not...giving up..." She groaned through gritted teeth. Then, just like that, Woody effortlessly pulled her arm down without shifting his position. Mitsy sighed in defeat. "Oooh. I knew it."

"I could've won in the first few seconds," Woody chuckled, "but you said that you wanted to fight it out. So...I let you do it." Mitsy rolled her eyes.

"Thanks," she said sarcastically. "It's _your_ turn, Buzz." she stated, standing up and backing away.

"This won't take long," Potato Head chuckled.

"Oh, boy. Here we go." Slinky said. Woody and Buzz charged at each other when Jessie said 'go', Jessie and Potato Head cheering for the Space Ranger while Slinky and Mitsy encouraged Woody. "Go, Woody." Slinky bounced around excitedly.

"Get him, Buzz." Jessie said. The cowboy and the Space Ranger growled at each other. But before either of them could win, the toys heard Bonnie's and her parents' voices, so they all jumped back into the bag. The Andersons drove to Bonnie's cousin's house. Her cousin, Jamie's mom was Bonnie's mother's sister. Bonnie was staying overnight at Jamie's apartment. The next morning after playtime and breakfast, Jamie's mom took the girls to a theme park, but she told them to leave their toys at home so they wouldn't be stolen or left behind.

"Bye, guys." Bonnie said quickly to her toys. "I wish you could come too, but have fun here. I'll see you tonight!"

* * *

 **Ha, ha, ha. Sorry, but nobody won or lost when Woody or Buzz competed against each other. I was trying to decide who it would be, wanting it to be Woody but assuming that Buzz could easily outdo the cowboy. So, I decided why not have them get interrupted?**

 **I was inspired to do the arm-wrestling match from a picture I saw on DevianArt by Mirinata, with Jessie as the referee between Woody and Buzz. If I had my way, Woody would win, but I assume many people would've made Buzz the winner. Hey, at least Woody beat Jessie...for once!**


	4. Chapter 4 Carefree

**I'm trying to keep things lighthearted right now before this story gets to the intense parts, so I hope you enjoy. I don't own anything Disney or Disney Junior. Please read and leave a review. Buzz/Jessie shots in here. Mentions Bo Peep.**

* * *

"Well, I hope that everyone had a good sleep last night," Jamie's Disney Belle Barbie doll smiled, looking pretty and sweet in her blue peasant dress.

"Mm-hmm." Woody nodded.

"I slept like a dog." Slinky chuckled.

"We had a dandy rest," Jessie smiled.

"Yeah, sure you did, after 1 AM." Potato Head muttered. "You and lover boy staying up half the night, dreamy-eyed at the moon."

"You button your lip!" Jessie snapped.

"Speak for yourself," Buzz said defensively. "You're a married spud, with _kids._ " He smirked. "You know how it is."

"Let's just drop it." Potato Head sighed. "I'm on vacation, and I want to enjoy this free time while I can."

"Well, what would everyone like to do?" Cleo, Jamie's white stuffed queen seal with a pink cape and a crown asked.

"Come on, Rexie and Trixie," Timmy the yellow stuffed turtle encouraged. He'd already taken a liking to the two dinosaurs since their arrival last night. "Let's go play on the XBOX."

"Oh, goodie!" Rex exclaimed.

"Let's do the racing game first." Trixie said.

"Oh, dear." Rex moaned when he studied the controls. "I can't press the gas button and jump at the same time."

"Here, Rexie. Let me give you a fin." Timmy smiled. "All you have to do is hold the gas button the whole time, and I'll steer and press the jump button whenever it's time."

"Oh, thank you." Rex grinned.

"Well, I need to go make a few rounds," the cute Doc McStuffins doll said. "I have a few things I need to check on, see if they're improving. Sugar the rabbit had her ear stitched the other day, and I want to make sure she isn't picking at it. I'll see you later." And the doll started to walk away with her plastic pink and purple medical bag.

"Carry on, partner," Woody smiled, tilting his hat.

"Keep up the good work," Buzz agreed.

"Mind if I come along?" Slinky asked. "It ain't every day I get to watch a real doc on the job."

"I guess so," Doc shrugged. "If you really want to. Come on."

"See ya, fellas," Slinky said, wagging his tail and trailed after the doll.

"Belle, may I please look at some of Jamie's books?" Mitsy asked.

"Of course you may!" Belle smiled wistfully as she walked to the bookshelf.

"Hey, fellows?" Jake, a speed car racer action figure asked the 4 remaining toys. "Would any of you like to play CLUE?"

"Yeah," Woody grinned. "It's been a long time since we played that game."

"Come on. Let's go solve some crime." Jessie smiled. "Hey, ya Mitsy?! Ya wanna play CLUE with us?"

"Ordinarily, I'd say yes, but not this time." Mitsy replied. "You guys go ahead. I really want to look at these books."

"Okay," Woody replied as Jake and Benji, the large, stuffed, orange cat pulled the game box out to be set up. Myles, the stuffed fox joined them too.

"Now, what shall it be?" Belle asked the younger princess.

"Oh, there's so many to choose from," Mitsy said. "I can't decide." Then her eyes widened when she spotted one that was right up her alley. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "Can I read that one, please?" She pointed to a large, thick, dark blue book on the second shelf.

"You mean the dog breed encyclopedia?" Belle inquired.

"Yes!" Mitsy smiled widely with excitement.

"Certainly." Belle smiled back. "I'll have Benji get it down. Do you mind if I browse through it with you?"

"Oh no. I don't mind at all."

"Benji?! Could you please get this book down for us?" Belle asked. "It's way too heavy for me to pull down."

"Oh, all right." The cat sighed in resignation and fulfilled her request. He was the strongest of Jamie's toys. "Here you go. Now don't bother me, okay?"

"Thank you, Benji."

"Yes, thanks. Come on." Mitsy said. The two girls were happy to spend time together with someone who shared their love of reading books.

"Okay. So, who's going to be who?" Jake asked after setting up the game board.

"Oh, I'm going with the big boys." Benji said. "I''ll be Colonel Mustard." He picked up the yellow game piece.

"I'll take Mr. Green." Potato Head said.

"I'm not into glamor, but I suppose I'll be Miss Scarlet." Jessie sighed. "But only because she's wearing red. Anyway, it's better than being a fancy, smanshy Miss Peacock."

* * *

Mitsy was thoroughly enjoying herself, lying flat on her stomach with her chin resting on her hand, flipping through the many colorful pages of different dog breeds. Belle was sitting on the floor cross-legged next to her, happy for a chance to read a book. Mitsy told her the short version of her life existence as a toy and why she liked dogs so much. "My favorite breeds are of the 4 best dogs in the world," Mitsy said happily. "Jack, Lad, Slinky, and Buster."

"They're all special to you," Belle stated.

"Yeah. Oh! Here he is!" Mitsy exclaimed with glee. She pointed down to the German Shepherd on the page. "This looks just like him, only not a stuffed animal. That is Jack."

"You must miss him a lot," Belle said sympathetically

"I sure do. What about you? Do you miss the Beast?"

"Very much." Belle said softly, with a longing, far off look. "I know that my memories are only based on a movie story, but it's still part of me. Jamie's never gotten him, but every time she has a birthday, or Christmas comes, or she goes to the store to get a new toy, I always hope she'll walk in with my dear prince." Mitsy glanced wistfully towards the ceiling.

"You know?" She said gently. "Someone really special, who was almost like a mother to me, always told me to keep hoping, until that dream is either confirmed or contradicted. But she told me to never stop hoping, ever."

"She sounds _very_ special." Belle replied.

"She is...or...she was," Mitsy groaned. "She isn't with us anymore and Woody misses her so badly." Mitsy hung her head.

"Woody...you mean the sheriff?" Belle asked, trying to remember which of Bonnie's toys were which.

"Yes." Mitsy sighed. "They'd been together for a lifetime, then just like that she was sold in a yard sale. It hurt him very deeply. He almost totally gave up on life. It's still a great wonder sometimes, if you think about it, that you can even see him as he is now." Mitsy pointed across the room to where Woody was laughing with the others. "Having fun, enjoying life, just _smiling,"_ Mitsy continued. "But sometimes, if you look closely, you can see the pain in his eyes, the longing. The emptiness still aches."

"She must have been a real angel for him to still love her so much after all this time," Belle said, more to herself than to Mitsy. "But true love never ends."

* * *

"Very good, Sugar," Doc McStuffins said in a satisfied tone, after examining the stuffed rabbit's ear. "Your stitches are not disturbed. You've been leaving them alone and that's good. In a few days, you'll hardly notice they're there."

"Thanks," Sugar smiled. "I'd been trying to follow your instructions, but sometimes my ear gets just so darn itchy!"

"I think you're passed that stage now." Doc said. "Why don't you come and play now?"

"In a little bit. I want to freshen up," the yellow rabbit replied, heading to Jamie's play vanity set.

"Well, all right. I need to see how Mrs. Deary the Duck's little ones are doing. She stays in the kitchen," Doc told Slinky. "She's up on the cabinet. Her three ducklings have been sick with upset stomachs for two days because they keep taste testing anything small they can fit in their little mouths. Doesn't matter if it's a marble, Jamie's necklace beads, or the fake grapes her mom has on display in the living room." The cute doctor shrugged her shoulders.

"Poor little fellas," Slinky shook his head, grinning. "I hope they learn their lesson soon."

"Me too! Their mom and I keep telling them not to eat whatever they think they can scarf down, but they're incurably curious and like to go beyond the boundaries at times. They certainly keep us on our toes!" Slinky chuckled.

"We've got six little ones at Bonnie's house," Slinky said, referring to the Three-Peas-in-a-Pod and the Potato Heads three alien 'sons'. "They can be a handful."

"Six? Oh my goodness!" Doc shook her head. "I can't imagine trying to keep up with that brood."

"Well, there's always someone around to lend a hand, whether they have to be coaxed into it or not." Slinky stated.

* * *

"I was right!" Woody announced triumphantly, opening the small CONFIDENTIAL folder on the game board. "It _was_ Mr. Green, in the billiard room, with the lead pipe."

"So, you're the culprit!" Jessie sneered at Potato Head.

"Wasn't my idea." He muttered, throwing his arms up in resignation.

"How d'ya know who the murderer was?" Jessie asked. Woody puffed out his chest and put his fists on his hips, trying to give off an important celebrity pose.

" _Elementary, my dear lady,"_ Woody smirked, trying to draw out a thick British accent and failing miserably, which made everybody else laugh.

"You sound like a British paper boy in the movies, talking while he's holding his nose." Buzz joked, and Jessie fell backwards, giggling and pounding the floor with her hands. Woody rolled his eyes.

"Impersonations just ain't your hobby," Potato Head grinned. Woody just shrugged.

* * *

"Yes! I did it!" Trixie exclaimed happily.

"But I was so close," Rex moaned.

"Apparently, Trixie is doing excellent at that game." Buzz stated.

"She knows her stuff, that's why she's so good at it." Jessie remarked.

"They do seem to be having fun," Woody replied, then raised his voice. "Don't worry, Rex! You'll catch up!"

"I hope so. I certainly hope so. I'm trying!" Rex called back.

* * *

After flipping a few more pages, Mitsy called across the room, "Woody! Guys? Come over here and look at this!" The toys walked to the two princesses.

"What is it you want to show us, Little Bit?" Woody asked cheerfully. She was smiling like a kid in a candy shop.

"Look," Mitsy said, and pointed to the page she and Belle were reading. "It's a Rough Collie, just like Lad. Isn't he a beautiful dog?"

"Not again," Potato Head rolled his eyes. "You called us all the way over here just for _that_?" Mitsy made a face.

"Hey, I never get to look at these kinds of books." She replied.

"Whatever. I'm going to go and take advantage of this leisure time to get some extra sack time." Potato Head said, and walked away. Mitsy frowned.

"Do...do you guys get tired of hearing me talk about my favorite dogs too?" She looked up at her friends dismally.

"Well, if you want us to be honest," Woody sighed. Mitsy's face dropped.

"No offense, but...we _have_ heard it so many times that we have the lines and stories memorized." Buzz said timidly with a chuckle. "It does get repetitive." Mitsy's shoulders sagged.

"I'm sorry," she moaned. "I never wanted to annoy you guys with that. It's just that I really like them, and I really wish that Jack could be with us."

Woody sighed when he saw her sad face. She seemed disheartened. _Well, she does have a way of talking our ears off when she gets started,_ he thought to himself grinning. "Hey," he said aloud. "I'm glad you want to share your interests with us, Little Bit. But there is a time to zip the lip." Mitsy nodded, pursing her lips. "Hey, we didn't mean to put a damper on your enthusiasm."

"And I know from personal experience, that _'absence makes the heart grow fonder'."_ Belle said. Mitsy looked up at her gratefully.

"He _is_ a beautiful critter," Jessie agreed, looking down at the page. She was trying to cheer up her 'younger sister' like friend. "Looks just like Lassie. Hey, do you mean that that great big hunk of book has a different breed on each page?" She raised her eyebrows curiously.

"Uh-huh." Mitsy nodded.

"And from what I've seen on the news and heard around, they're getting new breeds each year." Buzz stated. Jessie just gaped.

"I never knew there were even _that_ many dogs in existence!" Jessie exclaimed. Belle giggled.

"He sure is a looker," Woody said, admiring the dog.

"He does look so lovable though," Jessie said. "Ooo. It makes me want to just feel that soft fur and give him a big hug."

"Not to disappoint you, but how about a great big hug from your husband?" Buzz asked.

"Oh, sure!" Jessie smiled, and threw her arms around him, then spun him up in the air.

"I can't wait to tell Chuckles about it." Mitsy smiled. Though Chuckles was more of a loner toy and often kept to himself in deep pondering, Mitsy had asked him before the one thing he liked to do besides listen to music and he told her it was reading books. She was excited to find someone else who shared her enthusiasm for stories, and after that, they sometimes read a book aloud together, or would read to each other, or read by themselves then tell each other what they'd discovered and enjoyed in the books. Mitsy especially liked storybooks, but Chuckles often preferred them to be nonfiction because after his sad past, he was very interested in the lives of people and what challenges or trials they had to face in life. Mitsy always looked forward to when it was her turn to read aloud and Chuckles was often amused at how animated she was in portraying the many different emotions in the story plot. The clown and the princess didn't have much in common, but their shared interest in books was one of the main tidbits that kept their friendship open, along with kindness and care.

* * *

"Come on, Buzz. Let's go." Jessie said, pulling on his arm.

"Where are you _two_ going?" Woody asked.

"None of your beeswax." Jessie smirked at her brother, and pulled her husband along with her.

"I think they want to be alone, Sheriff." Belle said.

"I know _that,"_ Woody sighed, chuckling and rolling his eyes.

"He likes to tease them a lot," Mitsy explained.

" _Buzz,"_ Jessie whispered in a sneaky tone.

"What?" Buzz answered back, not sure what she was up to.

"Ya wanna have some fun?"

"Doing what?"

"Let's pull one on Woody." Jessie explained.

"Uh, what do you have in mind?" Buzz asked uneasily. "We're not at home, Jessie. So let's not get too carried away."

"Well, I can't believe I'm saying this, but he beat me at arm-wrestlin' last night, and no one ever does!" Jessie huffed.

"Except _me,"_ Buzz reminded her. Jessie smacked his shoulder and disregarded his remark.

"Well, I told him I'd get even and you know that I don't make empty threats."

"Oh, I _know_ you don't!" Buzz declared, with eyebrows raised.

"Well, I'm going to teach him a lesson. Ya wanna help me?"

"You still haven't told me yet what it is you want to do."

"Well, remember yesterday when he was searching for his hat?"

"Yeah..." Buzz said slowly.

* * *

"Oh, hi, Slinky!" Mitsy smiled when her side-kick returned with Doc McStuffins. "Hey, they've got you in this book!"

"No foolin'?!" Slinky gasped and scurried over to the book. His face lit up.

"Yes, right here." Belle smiled, pointing down at the book.

"You're a Dachshund, like Buster." Woody said.

"Golly, Bob-howdy! That's me?" Slinky gaped, wide-eyed, and wagging his tail.

"Pretty close." Woody stated.

"Come on, Rex! Get him! Oh. Again! Come on!" Trixie shouted excitedly to Rex as he was the last remaining player on the game during a boss battle.

"Come on, Rex. He's almost dead! Come on!" Timmy cheered.

"I'm trying. I'm trying." Rex said.

"One more hit should do it." Trixie said. "There! Now! Right now, Rex! Give it to him!"

"Yes! Hooray! You did it, Rex." Timmy clapped his flippers.

"I did it. I really did it!" Rex cried proudly.

"Hey! Shut your traps!" Potato Head shouted from inside the bedroom closet. "How do ya expect anyone to get some peaceful shut eye around here with that racket going on?!" But the happy video game geeks didn't hear him as they were excitedly jabbering about the next game they were setting up. "Aw, pfft." The spud rolled his eyes and pulled one of Jamie's jackets over his head, plus pulled his ears out and stuck them inside his back.

"You did it, Rex!" Woody cheered. "Good job, partner."

"I knew you could do it," Timmy grinned, patting Rex's shoulder.

"Because you beat him, we won the battle." Trixie added.

"Excellent work." Buzz praised. "Now, onto the next level."

"Shall we change the mode to HARD now?" Timmy asked.

"Oh, I don't know." Rex said uneasily.

"We can do it," Trixie answered. "Sure, go ahead."

* * *

Belle had turned on the CD player earlier, and different music had been playing through the room all morning. Woody, Buzz, Benji, Jake, Myles, and Jessie were having a somersaults competition to see who could perform the most complicated, impressive acrobatic moves. Belle, Sugar, Mitsy, Slinky, Cleo, and Doc McStuffins were the audience and their applause signified who was the champion. At one point, Woody's hat fell off and while everyone else was watching him, Buzz snatched it and tip-toed behind the spectators 'til he reached Jessie. " _Okay, here it is_." Buzz whispered.

" _All right. Get goin'!"_ Jessie grinned.

" _You sure this is going to work?"_ Buzz asked nervously.

" _Course it will! He'll never find it **there.** Now git! And don't mess this up."_

" _I've got this covered."_ Buzz smiled, and trotted away. Jessie smiled smugly. Her plan of sweet revenge was in motion.

"So, who won?" Woody panted.

"I believe Buzz did. Sorry, Big Guy." Mitsy smiled.

"I agree." Belle, Cleo, and Slinky said in unison.

"Aw, come on." Woody sighed. "He always beats me."

"Hey!" Jessie protested. "What about me? I say we have a rematch."

"That's not fair." Jake said. "I did a pretty good job too."

Just then, a catchy tune began floating through the air from the music CD and Mitsy absentmindedly began spinning in circles away from the group and towards the open floor. Her full skirt flocked around and she swooned happily. Then she looked back at the group. "Come on, Jessie! Let's dance." Mitsy said excitedly, beckoning with her hand. "Come dance with me. You recognize it? You know which song this is?" As the familiar tune reached Jessie's ears, she darted forward to join the princess. It was one of their favorite songs. It had been Bo Peep's too, when it came to toy girls' slumber parties back at Andy's.

" _ **If I live to be a hundred**_

 _ **And never see the seven wonders,**_

 _ **That'll be alright.**_

 _ **If I don't make it to the big leagues**_

 _ **If I never win a grammy**_

 _ **I'm gonna be just fine**_

 _ **Cause I know exactly who I am!"**_

Mitsy giggled happily and Jessie yodeled heartily as they paralleled each other in circles and spinning smoothly, in time to the music.

" _ **So when I make my big mistake**_

 _ **And when I fall flat on my face..."**_

Mitsy squeezed her eyes shut, embarrassed and then saw Woody grinning, squinting, and pointing directly at her. That verse always reminded them of the first day they met, when Mitsy accidentally flew through the air and crashed into Andy's toys' world. She'd also slipped and fell off the race car track that day.

" _ **I know I'll be alright;**_

 _ **Should my tender heart be broken,**_

 _ **I will cry those teardrops knowing**_

 _ **I will be just fine,**_

 _ **Cause nothing changes who I am!"**_

That verse was very personal to Jessie, because it reminded her of how after being left behind by Emily, then stuck in storage for years, her personality had never wavered or changed and that ever since after she'd lived with Andy and now Bonnie, she could be free to live and enjoy life and be herself. And now she was living every single day to the fullest.

It was at that moment that Buzz reentered the room and noticed the two girls dancing together. His eyes immediately fell on Jessie, and he smiled at how carefree and joyful she looked. Then he snapped back into focus and rejoined the spectators so Woody wouldn't suspect what he'd been up to. The cowgirl and the princess twirled, skipped, hopped, and swooned as they danced together to the music and lyrics of their nostalgic song.

" _ **...Sometimes I'm clueless and I'm clumsy**_

 _ **But I've got friends that love me,**_

 _ **And they know just where I stand;**_

 _ **It's all a part of me,**_

 _ **And that's who I am!**_

 _ **That's who I am!"**_

Jessie and Mitsy locked arms, twirling, then let go and spun in a circle, and then stood still, with their arms raised to the ceiling as the music faded. The other toys clapped, though Benji and Jake hadn't been that impressed. Mitsy curtsied and Jessie bowed when her eyes fell on Buzz. "Excuse me, Your Highness." She said, then rushed as casually as possible to her husband. _"Everything square?"_ She whispered to Buzz, but for the sake of diverting suspicion from Woody, looked more like she was kissing the Space Ranger's cheek.

" _Everything is A okay!"_ Buzz whispered back.

"Whew. That...was fun." Mitsy panted. "It's been so long since we heard that song. Thank you, Belle for putting that CD on."

"Oh, you're welcome." Belle smiled.

"Come on. Let's find something more interesting to do." Jake sighed and started to walk away.

"Hey, Woody? Where's your hat?" Slinky asked. Woody felt the back of his head.

"I guess I dropped it." Woody replied, then bent down to pick it up. But it wasn't there! He dropped quickly to the floor and started crawling frantically back and forth. "Oh no! My hat!" He cried. "Where is it? Where is it? Where did it go? Did anyone see it?"

"Don't worry, Sheriff. I'm sure it will turn up." Cleo said calmly.

"I've got to find it!" Woody exclaimed, grabbing the sides of his head with his hands.

"It's okay, Woody. Just calm down and we'll look for it." Mitsy said.

"Yeah. Come on. Let's search, fellas." Slinky said and started sniffing the ground to pick up the scent. Nobody even noticed Buzz and Jessie snickering to each other as the rest of them began to look around for the precious missing hat.

"Woody, don't be such a worrywart," Jessie said casually. "Quit making a mountain out of a mole hill." Woody's head shot up.

"Ha! I'd like to see how you'd react if you were in my boots!" Woody blurted out.

"I never was into those fancy western duds. A bunch of fuss and froufrou to me. Who cares about your silly old hat, anyway?" Buzz teased, trying to completely throw off any suspicion Woody might have that they had hidden it on him. But this only made Woody more upset.

"Now, Buzz, that's not nice." Mitsy said seriously, before the cowboy could blow up. "He's worried."

"Don't you start in on me!" Woody growled at the Space Ranger. "What kind of smart remark is that? And why are you two just standing there for? Get to looking!" Mitsy squinted curiously at the mischievous married couple, then followed Slinky out the door. The springy dog was still trying to trail the hat by scent. Jessie and Buzz smirked at each other, then Jessie pounced onto Woody, knocking him on his back to the floor. "Jessie, what are you doing?!" Woody sputtered.

"Payback!" Jessie laughed, as she vigorously tickled the squirming cowboy. He whined and laughed, and tried wiggling away from Jessie's attack. Buzz was snorting in laughter behind Jessie, which made Woody glare at him despite his helpless laughing.

"Stop it! Stop it! Oh ho! Jessie, stop! Get off me...oh, please! I beg you...stop!" Woody chuckled, flailing his arms and legs.

"Ha! Ha! I'll teach you to beat me at arm-wrestlin'!" Jessie sneered and tickled faster.

"Ah ha! Someone help me please! Ha, ha!" Woody giggled, then suddenly lunged forward and stood tall up on both feet, throwing Jessie to the floor and cutting her off guard. She was flabbergasted: Woody was never able to escape from her during a tickle fight. Never.

"How did you do that?!" She gasped.

"Okay, Bazooka Jane," Woody said firmly. "On your feet." He commanded, acting like a stern cop. "Okay, _you two sneaks._ Where is my hat?"

 _How did..._ Buzz and Jessie both thought. "I'm not telling." Jessie said, with a smug smile. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

" _Buzz..."_ Woody scolded. He put on his best cold cop face.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that." Buzz answered casually, trying to look innocent.

"I'll give you one more chance to tell me. Where is it?" Woody asked, glaring with hands on hips and tapping his foot. Buzz just looked away and whistled.

"You ain't gonna get nothin' outta me." Jessie said in a daring tone.

"Oh yeah?" Woody raised his eyebrows, then wrangled his right arm around Jessie's head, sticking her in a head lock, and pulled on her braid. "Okay, Miss Patty Paws!" Woody growled. "Where is it? Talk! Where's my hat?!"

"You can't make her talk!" Buzz raised his voice in mock protest. He knew that Jessie could hold her own and wouldn't spill any beans.

"I ain't sayin' nothin!" Jessie groaned defiantly, trying to pry Woody's arm from around her neck. "And let go of my hair!"

"Here it is, Big Guy!" Mitsy called from the living room doorway. She glanced behind her and Slinky entered, with Woody's hat twirling around on his tail.

"There ya go, pal." Slinky smiled, as Woody released Jessie and grabbed his beloved hat, then set it safely on his head.

"What?! No way!" Jessie hollered. "Buzz! You said that you had things covered!" She glared accusingly at her husband.

"I...I _did!"_ Buzz sputtered defensively. He was stunned. _How? There's no way, unless..._

"You said that you hid it where Woody would never find it!"

"Oh ho. Thank you, guys! Thanks a lot. Where was it?" Woody asked his two heroes.

"Behind the stove in the kitchen, though I ain't sure how Buzz fit between it and the cabinet." Slinky grinned. "That space is pretty narrow." Woody squinted at his sister and brother-in-law, half in aggravation for them pulling this prank, but then the other half in triumph that he got his hat back.

"What do you have to say for yourselves?" Buzz demanded, pretending to be stern, but in real annoyance. "How did you know? Don't tell me you followed me!" He placed his hands on his hips.

"M mm...maybe," Mitsy said nonchalantly, staring at the ceiling. She wouldn't stop grinning, which made Jessie more impatient.

"Buzz, our scheme got foiled, and that just _doesn't_ happen!" She whined.

"It did this time." Buzz shrugged.

"Next time, Super Agent," Mitsy gazed sneakily at Buzz, "don't stash an item that you're trying to conceal somewhere that I can squeeze through." Mitsy teased the Space Ranger. "Have you forgotten the cat incident on the way to Al's apartment?"

 _Blast!_ Buzz thought to himself. _I climbed the stove and dropped the hat behind it from the top. But she slinked between it and the cabinet. Blast!_ "How was I supposed to know you were spying on me?" Buzz asked in mock sternness.

"We didn't follow you, Buzz." Slinky said. Mitsy shook her head gleefully.

"Oh _no._ No we didn't. Honest." She smirked.

"Then how in tarnation..." Jessie started to ask.

"Yes, how?" Woody asked. He was very interested.

"Well, Buzz and Jessie didn't seem the least bit interested in trying to help find your hat," Mitsy answered Woody. "Which was a bit unusual. Ordinarily, they try to get you calmed down, then search. _This_ time, they seemed pretty bent on making you more frazzled." Mitsy smiled proudly at her deduction. "Buzz has really turned into a big stinker since he got married. But Slinky's really the one who you should thank, Woody."

"Yeah." Slinky nodded in agreement. "And a dog's nose doesn't lie either." He grinned, showing his teeth. Jessie's shoulders sagged and she rolled her eyes.

"You little varmints," She scolded. "Imagine that, Buzz. Getting busted by a couple of little squirts." She crossed her arms over her chest. Buzz frowned-embarrassed more than anything else-at the princess and the dog, who just chuckled.

"Well," Woody began, stepping between the princess and the dog, giving their shoulders a playful shake. "You know the old saying, Jess. _'If you want something done right, do it yourself!'_ Hey, thanks, guys. Give it to me up high." Woody smiled widely as Mitsy and Slinky both gave him high-fives.

"Next time, you'll never find it, I promise you." Jessie groaned.

"Oh, yes we will." Slinky chuckled.

Woody whistled to Jamie's toys. "It's okay, everyone. I got my hat back."

"Oh, that's good." Belle smiled.

"Does he make a habit of this?" Jake asked.

"I wouldn't exactly say that _he_ makes it a habit," Slinky said.

 _You hush up!_ Jessie angrily waved at him in Sign Language with her fingers.

"Ugh! I give up." Potato Head groaned as he came into view. "Can't a man get some peace and quiet around here? Of course not. That would make too much sense."

"Who's bothering you?" Benji asked.

"Those hyped up gamers who never listen, that's who." Potato Head huffed. "Plus folks who keep pokin' around in my space, not watching where they're going. Said they were looking for a certain cowboy hat." He glanced dryly at Woody, who smiled, shaking his head and threw his arms up.

"Heh, heh, h-hey. Don't look at _me."_ Woody giggled. Friendly Doc McStuffins trotted over to the grumpy tater.

"Are you feeling okay, sir?" She asked curiously. "I've noticed that you've seemed a bit on edge all day. Is there something I can do for you, maybe get you a tonic?" Potato Head glanced up at her as if she'd forced him to eat a whole sour pickle. His friends were trying to stifle the giggles in their throats.

" _You've got to be kidding!"_ Buzz whispered to Woody.

" _She thinks he doesn't normally act this way?"_ Woody chuckled. " _Aw, ho, ho. This is too good."_ Mitsy and Jessie were both doubling over, trying not to laugh out loud. Slinky was clasping his own bobbing head with his paws.

"Say, what business is it of yours how I feel?" Potato Head snapped. "Just beat it."

"It's very much my business if you're not feeling well," Doc said calmly.

"I feel fine!" Potato Head hissed. "And you're bothering me, kid. Now git."

"But, sir..." The doll persisted, earnestly wanting to help him. "It might help calm your nerves."

"Ha! You wanna do something productive for me? Okay. Show me somewhere that I can get some privacy and take a good nap."

"I can do that." Doc nodded her head. "Are you sure that..."

"Believe me, Doc. _Heh, heh._ You're...you're barking up the wrong patient." Slinky laughed, unable to contain it any longer. He flipped onto his back and laughed, his coils shaking as he did.

"Yeah. Take my word, he _ain't_ sick!" Jessie chuckled, shaking her head. She slapped her knees.

"The day he wakes up and tells everybody to notice what a beautiful day it is, we'll definitely call you!" Woody joked.

"Are you sure?" Doc asked.

"Oh, we are _definitely sure."_ Buzz nodded.

"All right. Just follow me, sir." Doc beckoned to Potato Head, who was looking forward to a long, undisturbed rest with no kids to chase or pester him, no props that needed putting away, and no having to listen to Rex and Trixie's hooting and hollering over their games. The minute he and the doctor were out of sight, the other toys burst out in hyper laughing fits.

"Oh, oh, oh..." Woody tried to gather his voice. He was covering his forehead with his hand. _"Are you feeling okay, sir?_ That's a good one, ha, ha! OH, we should've caught this on video!"

"And she...she was so innocent about it." Buzz grinned, shaking his head. "She seemed so genuinely concerned that he was under the weather. She has _no_ idea."

"Did you see the look on his face? Ha, ha," Slinky chuckled, looking at his friends upside down. "He...he...he looked like he'd eaten a sour pickle."

"The fellas back home would get a kick out of this. I can't believe that!" Jessie giggled. "I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes."

"Oh ho, I wouldn't have missed it for anything!" Mitsy giggled. "That was...great!"

"Yeah. Hamm and Buttercup don't know what they missed." Woody joked.

"Ooh no!" Mitsy clasped her face with hands, shaking with laughter as Buzz smacked Woody's back and the two friends doubled over, with their arms around the other's shoulder, lost in a fit of serious humor. Woody's last statement was too much, and the toys laughed harder, if that was even possible. Jamie's gang stared at them confused, curious, and a bit wary of the hysterical guests in their house.

"Uh, w-what's so funny?" Cleo asked.

"Forgive us for being ignorant," Benji said dryly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh." Woody smiled, trying to catch his breath. His sides were aching and his plastic face muscles were sore from his stimulated merriment. "Oh, it was nothing really."

"Oh," Jake nodded, with a skeptical trace in his voice. "Then you guys must have been lurking in the pantry. In the _sweets_ booth. Even Jamie and her friends don't get _that_ hyped up when they've had too many cookies and candy!"

"Oh, sure they do." Belle interjected. "You're exaggerating, Jake."

The toys spent the remainder of the day watching movies, playing various games and video games. But by late afternoon, early evening, they were bored.

* * *

 **The song lyrics in here comes from _Who I Am_ written by Troy Verges and Brett Jones, and I was imagining the performance by Jessica Andrews. That song is nostalgic to us because it always played in the opening credits of one of our top favorite TV shows. And I've been wanting to stick in one of my fanfics. Hope you're enjoying this story.**

 **Please do leave a review.**


	5. Chapter 5 A Dream Come True

**Hello, everybody. I realize that everyone is most likely preparing for Christmas-can't believe it's almost here already!-and that that means readers might not be available to devote time to Fanfiction. But I certainly hope you're enjoying the story. Please let me know what you think.**

 **Yes! This chapter at last! Sorry, it's not a reunion with Bo Peep in here, though it mentions her. Sorry, everybody!**

 **For those of you who have read my previous fanfics, I guess you've noticed that I made it out to be that Woody and the princess share a father/daughter like relationship, just as he and Jessie share a sibling like relationship. If you take offense to it, then you don't have to read this story. I hope no one feels as if Mitsy is replacing Woody's relationship with Bo Peep, she's not. No one could do that! Woody wouldn't allow it!**

 **He's always looking out for Jessie no matter how much it may get on her nerves, but now she has Buzz, and I thought that if Woody had an unmarried daughter figure around who needed him, it would give him a sense of still being useful while Bo's gone and Buzz and Jessie's relationship is growing.**

 **Another thing, Jessie and Mitsy both respond differently to Woody's sometimes overprotective guardianship over them. I hope no one feels like I'm making the princess steal the cowgirl's thunder, that's why I'm saying this. Jessie is still her own unique self that everybody loves, so their reactions to the cowboy's behavior are quite different.**

* * *

"Well, guys, I'm gonna have a little adventure," Trixie stated, opening the front door of the apartment.

"Trixie! Where do you think you're going?" Buzz asked.

"I just wanna explore a little." And out she went.

"Oh my goodness." Belle gaped.

"She'd better come back!" Cleo exclaimed. "She doesn't know where she's going."

"She could get lost!" Timmy cried, worried about his new friend.

"Trixie, come back!" Rex cried. "I can't let her go alone." And he scurried after her. They both hopped into a stranger's box filled with winter clothes. The woman picked it up and walked away down the hall.

"Isn't this fun, Rex?" Trixie asked excitedly. "We don't even know where we're going."

"I am a bit concerned," Rex said timidly. "But, as long as I'm with you and we don't get lost, I guess it's exciting."

"Looks like they're being put away in the storage closet in the basement." Belle said.

"Storage?!" Jessie gasped fearfully. Just the thought alone frightened her. "No!"

"We've got to bring them back!" Woody said. "How do we get down there without being seen?"

"Out the front door, turn left, straight down the hallway to the emergency exit stairs," Belle answered.

"Thanks. Come on, guys. Let's go get 'em!" Bonnie's toys made sure the coast was clear, then ran to the emergency exit, and they all tromped down the stairs.

"What was Trixie thinking?" Jessie panted.

"If you ask me, she wasn't thinking at all," Potato Head remarked.

"I've noticed she's always been the curious one." Slinky said. They reached the bottom of the stairs and pushed the heavy door open. They saw their friends' tails sticking out of the box. So did the woman.

"Where did these come from?" She asked, annoyed. She grabbed them and walked outside.

"Maybe she's throwing them away!" Slinky gasped.

"Come on!" Woody said, and they followed the lady outside. She carelessly tossed the dinosaurs out on the lawn and walked back inside.

"Well, Rex? What did you think of our short-lived adventure?" Trixie asked.

"It was altogether fun and frightening, all at the same time!" Rex exclaimed.

"A-hem." Came a gruff voice from behind them, and they turned to see Woody glaring at them, his arms folded, his eyes cold, and he was tapping his foot. Their other friends were standing behind him.

"Oh, hi, Woody," Rex said nervously. Trixie just smiled innocently.

"You guys are not in Preschool mode anymore," Woody scolded, putting his hands on his hips. "I'm waiting for an explanation."

"Hey, lighten up, Sheriff." Trixie grinned. "We can take care of ourselves, we wouldn't get lost, and we were just having a little fun." Woody pursed his lips.

"Well, at least you're okay," Slinky nodded.

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know." Woody said dryly.

"What, Sid's old cat, Whiskers?" Rex asked. The other toys snickered, while Potato Head rolled his eyes along with the sheriff.

"That's a very old expression, Rex." Buzz chuckled.

"You two should really be more careful." The spud said.

"What are you getting all jumpy about?" Trixie inquired. "We've done this before."

"That's because we were at home or somewhere we've been before already," Buzz spoke up. "But in this case, we need to stay together and not just go off somewhere alone that we're unfamiliar with."

"Buzz is right," Woody added. "Don't pull a stunt like that again unless one of Jamie's toys are with you. Do you understand?" The blue triceratops rolled her eyes, shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah, we understand." She replied, annoyed. "It was only a little fun."

"Okay, well, we need to go back to the apartment." Woody sighed. "Come on." They all tried opening the door back up, but it was an automatic lock once closed. "Great! Now we gotta go through the front," Woody muttered. They started walking around to find the entrance.

Mitsy lingered near the end of the line. She was glancing at an air conditioner when she stopped in her tracks. She looked closer. Did she see what she think she did? She inched her way forward. She thought for sure that she saw a robust, large stuffed German Shepherd dog. He looked a bit aged, but there was a sensation of familiarity that seemed to be pulling Mitsy closer and closer, tugging at her mind and refusing to release it. Her heart pounded so hard in her chest that she was sure the whole world could hear. Could...could it be? Was it?

* * *

"Back up, everyone." Woody said, and they braced themselves behind a car as a man emerged out of the one next to them. Buzz, his protective cylinders rolling, glanced at his friends and subconsciously started counting heads in his mind to make sure everyone was accounted for. He always did that, especially when they were in unfamiliar territory. A wave of adrenaline raced down his spine when he noticed that someone was missing!

"Hey, where's Mitsy?" He blurted. "Anyone seen her?"

Woody's jaw dropped and he clasped his head with his hands in frustration. He was used to the peas-in-the-pod and little aliens doing as they pleased without thinking about what they were doing or listening to him about safety rules, but the princess? This was a new one! "Ugh. Not her too! Where did that girl go?" He groaned, his parental instinct taking over. "Everybody, start looking!" And they all spread out.

Mitsy's heart thudded faster. She was afraid to ask, but she finally found her voice. "J...Jack?! Jack, is...is that you?!" The dog turned his head to respond. He stood there, jaw dropped.

"M...Mitsy?" The brave voice stammered. A surge of electricity soared through Mitsy's cotton body and she stopped breathing. That dear, courageous voice, _the_ voice she thought she might never hear again, was speaking directly to her! Oh, how beautiful it sounded, like a welcoming mountain spring to a weary traveler. Then she saw it: she saw the faded but permanent ink name written in a very young childish hand on his collar, the precious JACK! Mitsy could recognize that handwriting anywhere... _Maddie's!_

"Oooh! JACK! Jack, it _is_ you!" Mitsy cried out. "WOO!" She wailed loudly and joyfully, and dashed to him happily with outstretched arms and the dog wrapped his big, loving paws around her. Oh, how she'd missed those paws! They felt warm, loving, and safe. She squeezed his soft, plush body tightly with all the strength she had. Mitsy was so lost in the wonderful moment that she didn't hear her friends frantically calling her name. "Oh, Jack," she sighed. "I've missed you _soo_ much!" Her voice quivered, and she shivered with joy. "I-I...I thought you were dead."

"Me too, honey," Jack whispered. Then he set her down and pushed her back. "Let me look at you. Oh," the old dog sighed with a fond smile. "You have never looked so pretty before! I thought I had you etched down perfectly, but...man, you've never been as glowing as you are now! You look so happy, Mitsy Precious. How are you?"

"I'm wonderful!" Mitsy trembled happily. "Oh, Jack. You _have_ to meet my friends! Come here." She tugged eagerly on his big paw and he followed her.

"Oh? Okay." Jack chuckled. "I'm coming, I'm coming."

* * *

"Any sign of her?" Woody asked breathlessly, his shoulders sagging. First Rex and Trixie, which was no surprise, and now Mitsy! Granted though, it wasn't like her to just disappear when they weren't home, and he started imagining all kinds of trouble that she could unknowingly be heading into. Still, it wasn't like her, but that didn't matter. If Bo was here, she'd tell Woody that Mitsy wasn't a child, she was a big girl-almost a woman-and that he didn't have to be standing over her every minute. But he was a bit frazzled right now, and pushed those thoughts aside. He watched over her every bit as hard and stubbornly as he did his headstrong little sister Jessie, whether they liked it or not.

"Not a thing," Potato Head muttered.

"She's gotta be close by," Buzz said calmly.

"Woody! Guys! Guys!" Mitsy called cheerfully. She ran to her friends, happy as can be. They all turned their heads.

"Mitsy?!" Everyone gasped. "Where were you?" Woody asked. _She's gonna get a good talking to! You need to learn a lesson, Missy,_ he thought but he was relieved that she appeared to be okay. The princess doll skidded to a stop, looking so carefree, as if completely unaware of the worry she'd caused her friends.

"Well..." Mitsy began, panting but she was cut off.

"You had us all worried," Rex cried.

"We heard you yell." Jessie added.

"What happened?" Slinky inquired.

"Are you okay?" Trixie asked.

" _Am_ I okay?" Mitsy rolled her eyes and laughed. "Ha, ha, ha! I'm great!" She was practically dancing on air, which confused everybody. "Never, ever been better in my life!" She cheered. The other toys only became all the more baffled.

"What did we just get through talking about to Rex and Trixie? Weren't you even listening?" Woody's voice was stern with a face to match. "You know better than to just wander off." He scolded her like she was a small child. He was using the tone that always made Mitsy feel like one too, when she wasn't! Yet, she was still smiling at him right now. Golly, how she loved that lanky, witty, smart, stickler law-abiding cowboy doll. Yes, he reminded her so much of a father. She couldn't stop giggling at his firm, protective manner right now.

"What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?" Buzz glared. "What were you thinking?"

"Well, if you'll just let me explain..." Mitsy grinned sheepishly with her hands clasped together. She wasn't the least bit intimidated by their cold expressions. She was too happy. She was smiling widely and chuckled. Jessie was surprised at the princess's nonchalant attitude. She couldn't wrap her head around it: _she_ certainly wouldn't have just stood there and let Woody rant on her as though she was a foolish kid! She would've told him off or beat him up, if not both!

"What are you so happy about?" Potato Head groaned. "Did you win the lottery or something?" Mitsy burst out laughing.

"This isn't funny! Wandering off in a strange place can get you in trouble." Woody growled. _What is she so ecstatic about? I don't get it! She's so giddy with cheerfulness._ **_What_** _in the world did she get into?_

"Okay, I'm sorry," Mitsy said casually, still smiling innocently. Then she jumped towards Woody and grabbed his arm. "Come with me!" She said excitedly. "This way. Come on!" She tugged on him to follow her. Woody was dumbfounded.

"What? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Slow down." Woody gaped, confused. _Did she not hear a thing I've been saying?_ _ **What**_ _has gotten into her? Why is nobody listening to me today? I feel as if I might as well be trying to explain logic to the bushes in front of this building!_

"Come on, you guys! I've got something to show you. This way." Mitsy kept pulling on Woody and he gave Buzz a weirded out _help me, will you_ look.

"Look, we need to talk..." Buzz tried to say.

"Okay, be that way. Follow me!" And the princess happily dragged Woody off with her. He looked back, bewildered.

"Whoa!" He hollered. "Eh, hey!"

"I think we better go with them," Buzz said, and everyone else followed. Mitsy led them around the corner. She let go of Woody's arm as the others came into view.

"Okay, wait here." She said excitedly, and walked to the wall. The toys glanced at each other and all shrugged their shoulders, absolutely clueless. "Come on. Eeee!" Mitsy squealed. "Guys, this is Jack!" Everyone stood there, eyes bulging and jaws wide open. "Jack, these are my good friends. Everyone, meet Jack!"

"Shazam!" Slinky yelped. "Your Jack? _The_ Jack?"

"YES!" Mitsy giggled. "Can you believe it?" Her body was full of joyful tremors.

"No way!" Woody gasped in astonishment.

"Well, bust my gadgets!" Buzz exclaimed. "It's unbelievable!"

"Wowie-zowie! I _don't_ believe it!" Jessie cheered. "It's you! It's you!"

" _The_ Jack?" Jack asked sheepishly. "What has she been telling you all about me?"

"Enough to quote _Lad a Dog_ from cover to cover," Potato Head said.

Mitsy gave introductions... "This is my good friend Jessie."

"Pleased to meet ya! I can't believe it's you." Jessie said as she shook hands with the legendary dog.

"Oh, _this_ is Slinky!" Mitsy smiled fondly down at her faithful friend, patting his head.

"I'm honored to meet you, Jack," Slinky said with admiration. "I've heard so much about you. But I never thought I'd get to actually meet ya!" Jack smiled.

"And, Jack?" Mitsy said fondly. "This... _this_ is Woody! The best sheriff that ever was!"

Woody blushed. "Howdy, Partner," he greeted in his usually warm, friendly way. "I feel as if I know you already. I feel as if we've known each other for years from what Little Bit has told us about you."

"It's good to meet all of you." Jack said. "I still can't believe this. I thought my Mitsy was dead! But she isn't! I'm so glad."

" _I_ thought _you_ were!" Mitsy replied, and hugged him tightly. "But we're finally together."

"Yes." Jack agreed, smiling.

"I'm really sorry that I scolded you, Little Bit, and wouldn't listen to what you were trying to tell us." Woody said, patting Mitsy's shoulder. She just smiled broadly up at him.

"So, what are you doing here?" Jack asked. "Do you live here?"

"No. Our owner Bonnie Anderson is visiting her cousin," Woody replied. "She's gone for the day."

"Oh, Jack do you have a home?" Mitsy asked eagerly. "Do _you_ live here?"

"Not really," Jack frowned. "I don't exactly have an owner."

"You don't?" Trixie cocked her head.

"How sad," Jessie said softly with sympathy. Mitsy cheered.

"Good! Jack, you can come home with us!" She cried happily. "Can't he, guys?"

"Take it easy there, Princess." Buzz chuckled. "Not so fast."

"You'll like Bonnie, and she'll love you every bit as much as Maddie ever did." Mitsy smiled at her long lost dog.

"I'd like to, Mitsy." Jack sighed. "Really, I would. But I...I..." he stammered nervously.

"So, what about you?" Buzz asked. "How is life treating you?" Jack's smile vanished and he grew quiet. Mitsy looked up at him with furrowed brows.

"I...I'm a member of the Spikes Toy Gang," Jack said lowly. "I'm not proud of it. But I want all of you to know that I do _not_ participate in their cruelty! I don't! I try to help the victims behind my members' backs."

"The Spikes Toy Gang? I don't believe I've ever heard of them." Buzz mentioned. "Who are they exactly? What do you mean by _victims?"_ Buzz's eyes narrowed hearing such a dark word.

"They torture any toy they can, that they can find who gathers their information but won't join. They target anyone. I abhor what they do." Jack moaned through gritted teeth.

"Well then, if you're such a great guy like she's been saying, why are you a member? Huh? You in for the purse, pal, or what?" Potato Head asked rudely and Mitsy glared at him.

"Hey! He's my friend," She spoke in the dog's defense.

"I thought I could do something to make sure their plans aren't fulfilled." Jack replied. "I told you that I try to help prisoners without my members knowing. I don't want to see innocent toys destroyed."

"Why do they do such terrible things?" Rex asked shakily.

"Yeah," Trixie agreed. "I could think of better things to do to pass the time of day."

"Life hasn't treated them so well," Jack answered, "so they want to take out their revenge on the world. Many of them are homeless: been thrown away, forgotten, left behind, outcast, donated, you name it. And it's easy for them to recruit a toy with personal scars and a small conscience."

"Sounds like someone we all know about," Jessie remarked, glancing at her friends, who all remembered the strawberry scented bear. They nodded in agreement with grim faces.

"Then if it's such a terrible group, you must come home with us, Jack." Mitsy persisted. "Please? There's no reason for you not to." Jack didn't answer her. A look of worry covered his wise face. He seemed to be concentrating on something else in the distance. " _Jack,"_ Mitsy said a little louder to get his attention.

 _"Hello?!_ Are you deaf?" Potato Head raised his voice. "She's talking to you, _Rin Tin Tin!"_

"His name is _Jack,"_ Trixie scolded.

"What's up, partner?" Jessie asked the distracted dog. Then Jack shook his head, snapping back out of his daze. But he still wore a wary countenance.

"Hey, are you guys trying to get back inside?" He asked Woody and everyone else. They nodded. "Okay, everyone. Let me make sure the way is clear. I'll help you, but STAY here! Do _not_ follow me! Don't follow me!" Jack warned frantically, backing away from the group.

"Hey, take it easy. What's going on?" Woody asked, confused.

"Is something wrong?" Buzz echoed. "What is it?"

"Why?" Mitsy asked, worried. "Jack, what's wrong?" Her hands were gripped together up at her chest. This wasn't like her friend.

"Everyone, just trust me. But do NOT follow me!" Jack declared firmly. The urgency in his voice frightened Mitsy. Jack turned his back and walked away from them farther down the other apartments, moving his head back and forth, then disappeared around the corner, out of sight.

* * *

 **What do you think? What is he up to? You want to find out? Gotta keep reading! Oh, please, please leave a review.**


	6. Chapter 6 This Can't Be Happening!

" **He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him." (Proverbs 18:13)**

 **This is the first BIG chapter in this fanfic. When I say big, I mean important. This is where things are supposed to get very interesting.**

 **Some Buzz/Jessie shots in here.**

 **In the movies or our imagination, Potato Head can't go anywhere without being a constant Johnny Raincloud, and here he's going to do a whopper! The dialogue in this chapter was easy to come up with. Mitsy quotes actress Elinor Donahue at one point. Hope you all are enjoying the story. If not, I'm sorry. Well, here it goes!**

* * *

"What is he doing?" Jessie inquired to no one in particular.

" _Jack_ ," Mitsy whispered sadly, as she watched him leave her sight. "Guys," she turned to face Woody and the others, "I'm worried about Jack. He's not acting like himself. I don't understand what's the matter with him."

"He seems scared about something." Slinky stated. "I don't get...WHA!" Slinky screamed and everyone looked around. A huge black trash bag was above their heads and suddenly they were surrounded by darkness! They were flipped over, then the bag was tied, and lifted up in the air. They could hear evil voices. The toys all pulled and tugged inside the bag, but it didn't rip. Then they heard a motor, and could feel the vibration of it moving.

"We're on a motorcycle!" Buzz exclaimed.

Mitsy heard a voice outside the bag crying, _"No! NO!_ _Wait!"_

"It's Jack!" Mitsy cried. "I can hear him!"

"Where...where...are they taking us?!" Jessie wailed between strained gasps for air. Her eyes were wildly filled with fear.

"Help us! Somebody help us!" Rex panicked, wildly flailing his little arms.

"We're doomed!" Potato Head yelled.

"This can't be happening!" Trixie blurted out.

"What are we gonna do?!" Slinky blurted, worried. He was at the bottom of the bag, smothered by the pile of his scared friends. They were tossed to and fro as the bag veered right and left because of whoever crazy driver that was navigating the speeding motorcycle. The constantly rapid, tumbling motion was making the toys seasick.

"Let us out! Let us out of here!" Woody shouted. They must have hit a bump in the road or a pot hole because the bag hurdled upwards in the air, the toys hollering, before it landed back on its transportation.

"Stop! Stop this vehicle right now!" Buzz demanded, but the voices outside the bag were jeering and laughing. Buzz could hear Jessie still hyperventilating, but in the midst of this chaotic ride with no breach in the figurative hurricane, he couldn't reach her to take her in his arms and assure his suffering wife of his presence. It was dark in here, and so crowded. Rex gave a grisly groan, as if he was throwing up, though no residue came out, he sounded miserable and so scared. "Blast this thing!" Buzz growled, forcefully clenching his fingers into the stretching plastic but it was useless.

"You'd better let us out!" Trixie bellowed, to no avail. "What in the world is going on?"

"We'll...we'll all be okay, as long as we stay together!" Woody blurted out, trying to sound more confident and more physically fit than he was feeling right now. "Just…just stay together, guys. Nobody is gonna be left behind. We'll...we'll find a way back to the apartment. I promise!" Woody cried, trying to keep his friends, his _family_ focused on the light at the end of the tunnel. Though he desperately hoped that there would be a light at of the end of this unseen, hostile tunnel that was taking them farther and farther away from their adorable owner. His stomach was churning inside, half from queasiness, and half from fear.

"Are you blind, Mr. Fearless?" Potato Head snapped, even in the midst of this non-gravity dilemma. "We're done for!"

"We've got to get back home! We've just got to!" Mitsy cried, as she was pinned underneath the Space Ranger, who was face to face with Woody's boots.

"We'll...we'll get out of here, Jess. Don't...don't worry!" Slinky told Jessie in a strained voice, the best he could with Trixie and Rex both on top of him. He was close to Jessie's petrified face. With some effort, he stretched his head forward, and started licking her face. Oh, he was definitely scared, not knowing what was going to happen, but the dog could see that the cowgirl couldn't think straight with her claustrophobia taking over and Buzz not by her side.

" _B...Buzz..."_ Jessie tried to call out, but the pounding in her chest drowned out any volume that she'd managed to sound forth. She tightly gripped Slinky's ears, giving him a painful tug and he silently winced at her grasp. Then suddenly, she felt hands come from behind and grip her shoulders: strong hands, comforting hands, so sure and in control, so protective, so _dear._ She looked up to see _him!_ Buzz's face was directly above hers, with a determined look that suddenly spoke comfort to her. Suddenly, her breathing didn't feel so rapid, and everything else around her seemed to become a blur. First his special touch that could melt away her longing came, and then...his face, the one that was hers to trust and treasure was locked into her eyes right now! Buzz was here with her, to keep her safe, and no matter what was happening or what trouble they were heading into, she knew he wouldn't leave her side. She clung to him with all the strength she had.

"Slinky? Woody, where are you guys?" Mitsy called frightfully as it was hard to see in this dark bag.

"I'm over here!" Slinky called, but unable to reach her from the other side. Plus, he was still bogged down by the two dinosaurs. Woody reached out his hand from behind him, feeling around 'til he touched her arm. Potato Head was on top of Woody, blocking his view. Mitsy looked towards him when she felt his hand. She couldn't see his face, but she instantly gripped it tightly and hung on.

"I said, LET US OUT!" Woody barked angrily to their invisible marauders, but it didn't do any good.

"Jack, help!" Mitsy cried. She was dead sure it had been his voice that she'd heard shout in protest when this first happened. "Jack, help us out!" She shouted louder. It seemed like forever before the motor was quiet and they were put back on solid ground. The evil voices spoke again and they heard a door locking. Then all was quiet.

"Come on, Rex. Everyone, push!" Buzz commanded and they shoved Rex forward until his tail broke the bag! They all burst out gasping and shivering wearily from the extreme adrenaline that had passed through their bodies.

"W-what happened?" Slinky asked, wagging his head. He scanned the other toys and breathed a sigh of relief that they were all together.

"We were kidnapped, Slinky!" Potato Head spat. "Did the ride knock you out of your marbles or what?" Slinky sadly frowned.

"Where are we?" Jessie asked as she looked up frightened. They found themselves in a storage room filled with boxes, shelves, and tape guns. Her knees buckled. Jessie shuddered and could feel the palpitations starting to rise inside her, but Buzz touched her shoulder and she clasped his hand tightly for dear life.

"It's okay, Jessie. I'm here," he said. " _It'll be okay. I'll get you back home,"_ he said in a low tone, _"I promise."_ Then he said louder, "I believe this is the hideout of the Spikes Toy Gang."

"Oh, this is terrible! It's just terrible!" Rex shrieked. "What do we do?!"

"I should've known better than to trust that bloke." Potato Head said cynically. "I knew that pooch was up to no good!" Mitsy turned sharply in his direction, her face provoked and defensive.

"HEY!" Mitsy declared dangerously. "You just watch what you say about my friend Jack!"

"Are you kidding? You saw the way he looked around and told us not to follow him." Potato Head rolled his eyes.

"Do you really think Jack set a trap for us on purpose?" Rex asked.

"Oh, Rex," Mitsy groaned. "Now don't tell me that you're going to start!" Rex shrank back timidly. The princess had almost _never_ spoken so harshly at him, and his feelings were hurt by her sharp tone. Mitsy noticed his reaction and her face slightly softened. "I...I'm sorry, Rex, but..."

"Naturally, you don't believe that do you?" Potato Head spat at the flustered doll, riling her again.

"Of course I don't!" Mitsy cried defensively. "It's all a lie! A malicious lie!"

"Now hold on, you guys. Everyone, just calm down. We're all pretty shook up right now. Let's not bite each other's heads off! We need to get our bearings." Woody said. "Just settle down, okay?"

"I'm sorry, Mitsy, but I'm afraid I have to agree with Potato Head," Jessie said quietly, hanging her head.

"Jessie!" Mitsy looked at the cowgirl disappointingly. "You can't mean that."

"Mitsy, you saw what happened," Jessie said meekly. "He told us to stay there and the next thing you know...You have to admit he was acting very suspiciously. I don't think we can trust him. We have to be careful."

"Buzz!" Mitsy looked pleadingly at the Space Ranger. "Buzz, you...you don't think...d-do you?" Buzz stared at the princess blankly. He didn't know what to think at this moment. He didn't know what to say. But his face said it all, and Mitsy grimaced. "Guys, Jack was trying to protect us," Mitsy insisted. "I heard him outside of the bag. I know it was his voice. He tried to stop them. I heard him! Really, I did!"

"Well, I didn't hear anything," Potato Head said in a know-it-all tone. The princess glared at him with daggers in her turquoise eyes.

"All right, that's enough, Potato Head," Buzz said firmly. "There's no need for this kind of behavior. Now back off."

"Buzz is right: we are NOT having this discussion!" Mitsy snapped. She angrily turned on her heel and tried walking away toward the wall, her shoulders huffing in frustration.

"Whoa, whoa, hey. Now calm down, guys." Woody said, trying to pacify the fireworks in the room. "Just calm down. Just drop the whole thing."

"We're already in it, kid," Potato Head said coldly to Mitsy, ignoring the sheriff's statement. "It's as plain as the nose on your face."

" _Excuse me?_ The nose on _whose_ face?" Mitsy growled, scowling back at him.

"He's a gang member. He admitted it. You can't depend on him."

Mitsy clasped her head in her hands, groaning, then spread her arms out in protest."No, no. That isn't true!" She wailed. Her endurance was running thin, and if the smart alek didn't shut his big mouth, he was going to be one baked potato! "PLEASE, just stop!"

"He trapped us. He doesn't care about you. It's Lotso all over again!"

"Potato Head!" Jessie, Buzz, Woody, and Trixie all gasped. Whether they agreed with him or not, he'd crossed the line and they could really feel it by the thick tension in the air. Everybody froze. Mitsy gasped loudly. She whipped around rapidly and marched angrily to Potato Head. Her usually happy eyes were dark with ice.

"Don't you _dare_ say that!" She lashed with venom. "You take that back!" She was so angry.

"I submit that your quote good friend pulled this on us because he's not the toy you thought he was." Potato Head said very unwisely. "He set us up. It's obvious to _most of us,_ who still have our heads on. He trapped us, kid. What part of that don't you understand?"

"That's enough, guys!" Woody exclaimed.

"No. You're wrong!" Mitsy said through seething teeth at Potato Head. She clenched her fists and her eyes became mere slits.

"He's just pulling your leg, Toots." Potato Head muttered. "Get it through your cute but thick head. He's a liar."

"You say one more word about Jack and I'm going to rip that mouth of yours off!" Mitsy threatened, her index finger only inches from his face. Jessie gripped Buzz's arm. She was alarmed at the intense anger she was seeing in Mitsy. She was rapidly spinning out of control. Potato Head glared at her.

"And what if you do? It won't change what we already know." That was it! Mitsy huffed heavily, and Slinky could almost see steam blowing out of her ears at a furious pace. She reached out viciously to snatch those cynical lips when someone grabbed her and pulled her back.

"Enough!" Buzz ordered, stepping between them. "Break it up, you two!"

"Knock it off!" Woody demanded. "Potato Head, why don't you just shut up?!" Woody had Mitsy firmly by the arms, but she struggled against his hold. "Hey, hey, hey, come on now." Woody said as the princess squirmed. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy there. Easy."

"Let me at him _just_ once!" Mitsy hollered. She tried to edge forward, but Woody held her back.

"No you don't! It won't do any good." Woody declared firmly. "Just take it easy. Calm down." Mitsy's eyes flared in anger. Jessie shuddered. None of them had _ever_ seen the princess in this state.

"You!" Mitsy snarled at Potato Head. "'You horrid, suspicious-minded, mistrustful cynic'!"

"All right, both of you, dry up!" Woody snapped as Mitsy huffed furiously. She had never felt so angry in her whole life! She was outraged. The toys could never remember ever seeing her fly off the handle in _this_ manner before. This certainly was NOT the Mitsy that they all knew and cared about! Jessie glanced worriedly at her husband and Buzz just stood there, dumbfounded and not sure what to say next. She actually stepped behind him to hide.

"Woody, make them stop saying those terrible things!" Mitsy looked up at the cowboy exasperatingly for help. She sighed heavily. "It...it isn't fair of you guys to accuse Jack like this. I trust him with my life!" Mitsy pleaded with a crack in her voice.

"I don't believe a word of it!" Slinky spoke up. "I honestly think that Jack was trying to protect us and his gang members did this to us! We can't talk badly about someone we don't really know."

"Mitsy and Slink are right," Woody said calmly. "We have no reason to judge someone we've just met. It isn't right."

"What, are you blind, Roy Rogers?" Potato Head said again. "You think that shiny badge of yours makes you an expert on everything?"

Woody gave him a fierce glare. "I told you to dry up!" Woody exclaimed. "And I don't want to hear another word about it, from _anyone!_ Understand? Not another word!" Then he looked down at the unhappy princess who was still held back by him. She was still sighing heavily, but was no longer standing stiffly under his grip. She was very slowly beginning to calm down. The sheriff turned her around where he could make eye contact."Look, honey," Woody said steadily, "I am not in any way saying I know that Jack did this to us. I'm not making assumptions. _But_ ," he hesitated, "we _can't_ deny the possibility that he just _might_ have." Mitsy grimaced and pursed her lips in argument, shaking her head.

'We don't _know_ for sure what exactly happened," Woody said a bit louder, as he meant this part for his friends too. "But they _do_ have a point. His behavior _was_ a bit suspicious. Even you can't deny that." Mitsy crossed her arms and stared gloomily at the floor. But she didn't say anything. Woody turned to face everybody. "I was there too, guys." He said. "I saw what happened. I know it looks like Jack gave the signal and set a trap for us, I'm not denying that at all! I know it looks bad. But we don't have time to stand here, arguing with each other. Don't forget what's happened before when we've jumped to conclusions! We need to help each other right now. We're friends, aren't we? But remember also that we don't know him. We can't say he did it, when we don't know it for sure. But we can't put our friendship at risk based on clashing opinions! We have too much to live for to do that!" Woody looked at Mitsy, who glumly glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes.

"You're right." She said lowly. "But I _refuse_ to believe that it was Jack. He's my friend." She looked miserably at the other toys, her face apologetic, but still clearly upset. She was still unhappy, but they were relieved that she'd finally cooled off.

"Woody's right." Buzz spoke up. "We should be working together right now, instead of charging at each other's throats."

"But, how do we get out of here?" Jessie asked.

"There's only one thing to do," Woody said with determination. "Mitsy, Slinky, and I will find Jack and make him take us out of here."

"Woody, it's dangerous out there," Buzz said, concerned.

"Well, we can't stay here."

"Now I know you've really lost it, Sheriff." Potato Head said. "You're crazy, cowboy. What good do you think finding him is gonna do? Huh? It'd be a waste of time to try. The end result will only be the same." Mitsy shot him an icy glare and sat down forcefully on the floor, her arms crossed in defeat and anger on top of her knees. Woody rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Woody, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Jessie asked nervously.

" _Guys,"_ Woody sighed. "This is the only shot we've got. Jack is familiar with this building. He's the only one I know of who knows the way out of here. I've got to talk to him!"

"A lot of good that..." Potato Head began but was cut off when something hard smacked his forehead. "Hey!" He turned and saw Trixie, who firmly shushed at him.

"Listen," Woody said. "If we try to find the exit out of this place ourselves we'll get lost. And the last thing we need are any hot-headed, impulsive characters who would tear Jack up on sight!"

"But, how do you know which way to go?" Rex asked. Woody bit his lip.

"I..I don't." He said lowly. "We'll just have to trust our instincts."

"I'm coming with you, Woody!" Buzz exclaimed, stepping forward.

"No, Buzz. I'm sorry." Woody disagreed. Buzz stopped in his tracks.

"What?" Buzz sputtered. Woody put a hand on his best friend's shoulder and looked him squarely in the eyes.

"I need you to stay here, Buzz. To take care of Jessie and the others and keep them safe." Buzz's eyes narrowed, at first in angry protest, then in determination.

"Whatever you say, Woody." Buzz declared confidently. Woody gave his arm a friendly punch.

"I know I can count on you, Space Ranger." Woody said proudly. Buzz found a small lead pipe from behind a shelf and handed it to Woody for a weapon, then he inserted a screw driver into the lock and the door unlatched.

"But what if something happens to you?" Rex asked.

"Don't worry, Rex. We'll be very cautious." Woody said reassuringly. "Won't we, Slink?"

"At your service, Sheriff." Slinky said confidently. "We'll find Jack, you'll see, everyone. And we'll get out of this place in no time! Before you know it, we'll be on our way back home with Bonnie!"

"I hope so," Jessie said nervously, smiling at how Slinky was trying to remain positive in all this chaos.

Mitsy looked up at her friends."Guys? I-I'm sorry that I blew up at you like that," Mitsy said very somberly. "That was very unkind of me. I was wrong to speak so harshly to you guys that way. I'm very sorry. Can you please forgive me?" Buzz, Jessie, Rex, and Trixie all nodded at her, smiling to signify that she was granted forgiveness. All but Potato Head. His face remained unchanged and hardened. Mitsy stood up."I'm sorry I hurt you. _But..._ I'm not taking back a thing that I said about Jack! I'm telling you: he's _innocent!_ I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry for how I acted."

"It's okay," Jessie said kindly, though she couldn't help feeling that her friend was making a big mistake in defending that dog. _I wasn't trying to hurt you, honest! I'm sorry I offended you, Mitsy. I never wanted to make you upset._ _We're still friends...right?_ She signed with her fingers.

 _Yes._ Mitsy responded with her hand, and sadly smiled at the cowgirl. _I'm sorry that I treated you like an adversary._ Jessie smiled and locked her fingers together for the sign _friends._

"Slink? Mitsy? Do whatever Woody says. We don't want to lose anybody! Stay close to each other." Buzz instructed. Slinky nodded with determination and Mitsy gave the Space Ranger a thumb's up.

 _Yes! Be careful!_ Jessie signed again in Sign Language. _And you guys be sure to come back here!_

 _We will!_ Mitsy nodded, fiddling with her fingers.

"Good luck, Woody. We'll be right in here, waiting for you. Be careful," Buzz told his best friend seriously.

"Sure thing." Woody nodded. "You ready, guys?" The princess and the dog both nodded. "Okay then." Woody sighed heavily. "Let's go." And the three friends snuck out of the storage closet. Buzz shut the door again and locked it. He sat down on a shelf next to his wife, hoping that Woody and his two side-kicks would be all right.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Jessie asked him, leaning close.

"I don't know." He said. "But the important thing right now is that we stick together." He put his arm around her.

"If worse comes to worse, can't say I didn't tell you," Potato Head said. "If you want my opinion..."

 _We don't really right now, thank you,_ Buzz thought.

"...we ain't ever getting out of here." The toys rolled their eyes.

 _Just what we needed to hear._

"Buzz, we _will_ get out, won't we?" Rex asked frightfully.

"'Course we will, Rex," Jessie replied nervously. "Don't listen to Mr. Thundercloud over there."

"I'm tellin' you, you're kidding yourself, cowgirl," Potato Head remarked.

Jessie glared at him. "You know something? You may be right, but I do think you shouldn't have laid it on her so hard." She said firmly.

"Me?"

"Yes, _you_ ," Trixie groaned. "You started the whole thing. Now, I don't know Jack very well. But I just want to say one thing: liar or not, he's Mitsy's friend."

"Trixie's right," Jessie agreed. "He might be guilty, but even if he is, we need to remember that he _was_ once a good friend of hers. And she'll defend his good name no matter what, even if she _is_ wrong."

"She's so wrapped up with that dog, she wouldn't know the difference." Potato Head said in resignation.

"A-hem. Sounds like we've been here before," Buzz said sarcastically. "That's enough. Sometimes you can be a real hot potato, and right now it's not really helping us. We need to come up with a backup plan in case something goes wrong."

"Yep. She's like the sheriff's daughter all right." Potato Head stated. Everyone gaped at him in bewilderment. Yes, a few of the toys had noticed the particular bond between Woody and the young princess, but Buzz and Jessie thought they'd been the only ones to ever discuss it...'til now. But they'd never gone around telling everyone else about it!

"What are you talking about?" Trixie asked, confused.

"That's...that's just..." Jessie stammered, trying to find the right words. This statement had been so random that it blew her mind away.

"What, are you all blind?" Potato Head asked. "She's definitely inherited his best traits. She's just like him: hard-headed and outspoken!"

"She's been surrounded by _some good teachers,"_ Buzz smirked, looking directly at the spud. Potato Head rolled his eyes at him.

* * *

Woody, Slinky, and Mitsy found themselves in an enormous warehouse for transporting supplies. There were many wooden loading docks, fork lifts, high shelves, wheeled Dollies, and much heavy equipment: not a safe place for a toy. Woody wasn't sure what lay ahead, but he knew that his family was in danger and he needed to find some way to get them out of this place safely. It was probably very foolish to bring the princess with him, considering the circumstances, but Woody wasn't sure if Jack was guilty or not; and if the dog _was_ responsible for their captivity, maybe seeing his little friend's face would persuade him to help them out. Woody felt that she would have a better chance than anyone to convince Jack, _if_ that turned out to be the case! Also, she was smaller than the cowboy and should be able to easily hide in very narrow spaces when needed. Besides, if the other toys came along with them, they might lose their heads and attack as soon as they laid eyes on Jack-well, at least Potato Head-and they didn't need that kind of scenario right now. As they quietly walked along the wall, they could see other toys far away, different kinds that looked like they were patrolling the area. "How will we find Jack in this place?" Mitsy wondered, as she carried the lead pipe.

"No clue," Woody admitted. Just then, they heard voices! They were behind them. "Quick! Over here!" Woody pulled Mitsy and they hid under a cart packed with boxes, Slinky right beside his good friends. The two voices came closer. They could see a huge, plastic, brown Bulldog with spikes in his collar and the bands wrapped around his wrists and ankles. He had huge muscles and had wicked, yellow eyes.

"That must be the leader," Slinky whispered, and Woody shushed him.

The dog's walking partner was a blue, fierce-looking, stuffed crocodile. "We've never had trouble with him before," the reptile said in an oily voice. "So, what about the new recruits? Anything look promising?"

"I haven't looked them over yet," the dog said in a smooth, creepy voice. "Even if we don't find any potentials, we'll have 'fun' with them, just the same." They passed by, walked down along the walls several yards away, then disappeared around a corner. Woody slowly climbed out from under the cart.

"This is our breach point," Woody said quietly. "You stay back here, Slink, and keep an eye out for Jack. If he comes, tell him that we need to speak with him right away! If there's any trouble, whistle and we'll come back. But stay under this cart. Do read me?"

"Right." Slinky said. "Woody? Mitsy? Be careful! I don't want anything to happen to my best pals!"

"Come on, Little Bit," Woody whispered, and Mitsy closely followed him as they snuck after the two toys they'd seen. They'd tip-toed about 4 feet when they saw a Boar with pliers on top of a shelf marching in their direction. Woody and the princess quickly ducked and crawled underneath another shelf. The guard hadn't seen them...had he? "All right, let's go." Woody whispered, and started to edge his way forward, belly-crawling and keeping his head close to the ground.

"Oh, I'm so nervous." Mitsy whispered through gritted teeth. She tried to maneuver quietly, her left hand locked onto the spur of Woody's left boot, and her right hand clasping the lead pipe Buzz had given them. Just then, Woody accidentally jabbed her face with his foot. _"Oow!"_ Mitsy cried, trying not to yell. _"Hey, careful!"_ She exclaimed quietly.

"I'm sorry!" Woody declared, twisting his head around to face her. She bit her lip sadly. "Are you okay?"

" _Yeah,"_ she groaned, rubbing her cheek, and they kept going. "But that hurt!" The heavy pipe was hard to grip carefully, and when Mitsy tried to keep it from peeking from under the shelf, it whacked Woody in the face. He dropped down on his stomach, groaning and shook his head.

" _Ooof!"_ He growled lowly. _"Hey!"_

" _I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"_ Mitsy pleaded. Woody rolled his eyes at her, then sighed heavily.

"All right, come on. There's the corner they passed. And I see them. Let's go!" The cowboy and the princess slowly peeked their heads out from under the shelf. They could see the bulldog and the crocodile. The two disappeared into a vent in the wall. "Okay. Stay close to me now." Mitsy tightly gripped the back of his belt and they slowly emerged out in the open, toward the vent. Soon they were close enough to hear voices. They passed the vent unseen and tried to peek inside it. They glanced up at the metal shelves above them where a scorpion toy was scooting around holding a screwdriver in his pinchers. The cowboy and princess ducked into a box 'til the guard was out of sight.

"Woody, do you think I'm wrong, thinking Jack isn't guilty?" Mitsy asked out of the blue. The anxiety to know _Woody's_ true thoughts had been jumping around in her mind and she couldn't wait any longer. Woody didn't know everything, but he was very wise and the princess really wanted to know how he felt about her dog. Woody gaped at her, surprised at the random question but also wondering how in the world she could ask such a thing at a moment like _this,_ when they were focused on tracking down fearsome criminals. He cleared his throat.

"I...I..." He stammered, unsure of what to say. "I think we need to risk it and rely on his knowledge of this place." Mitsy sighed. That answer didn't exactly melt away the flip-flops in her stomach. "Do you think _I'm_ wrong to suggest we do this?" He asked.

"I think we don't have much choice," Mitsy sighed.

"I'm going in there!" Woody declared.

"Woody, but..."

"You stay here until I say," Woody whispered. "Here, give me the pipe. You _do not_ come out of this box without my say so! Do you understand?" Mitsy nodded sadly. "Okay. Well, here it goes." He started to crawl out.

"Oh, Woody. Please be careful," Mitsy told him nervously. Woody smiled then crawled out. He peeked through the vent, squinting. All he could make out was a long airway hall, just like in Al's apartment years ago. Woody slowly, quietly opened the door and was about to step in when a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Where do you think you're going, Fancy Pants?" It sneered. Woody turned around and found himself face to face with the scorpion, a robot named Pinch, and a stuffed pirate cat called Puss in the Boots. Puss looked quite hostile: he was gray with a white stomach, wore a black, button less vest, had a green bandana tied backwards on his head, and a black patch over his left eye. His other eye was yellow, ugly, and to top it all off, creepy. It was the cat who spoke.

"I...I...uh," Woody stammered. His cloth blue jean legs shook and he braced himself with the lead pipe.

"It isn't wise to go poking about," the cat grinned wickedly. "We don't like busybodies or thick-headed cops who try to escape."

 _He is NOT a thick-headed cop!_ Mitsy growled under her breath. _Don't you call him that!_

"Someone's gonna have to teach you a lesson." And with that, they advanced on Woody, knocking the pipe out of his hands, tripping him, and slapping his face around.

"No! No...please!" Woody pleaded. He struggled to stand up straight, but was horded with unfriendly, physical blows. The cat came up and kicked him hard in the stomach.

"Look out!" Mitsy yelled from underneath the box. The robot raised his arms and then clamped down hard with the pipe on Woody's skull.

"Aaargghh!" Woody yelped painfully as his head suddenly stunned him with a powerful blow and not only was he seeing stars, but everything was growing dark, fast. The cowboy spun around dizzily and in agonizing pain before he collapsed to the floor. He was out cold!

"WOODY!" Mitsy screamed and, forgetting to stay out of sight, rushed to his side. "Oh, Woody," she whimpered, gripping his limp shoulders. The hostile toys closed in on her from behind, but she didn't notice. Her eyes were on the injured cowboy doll.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Puss smirked. "I didn't know we were expecting company. We're gonna have fun tonight, blokes. Come on." Mitsy felt herself being grabbed and then everything went black.

* * *

Slinky was all alone under the dark cart where he still obeyed Woody's command. His springy spine tingled and his ears stood on end when from an unknown distance, he heard Mitsy's cry. "No!" Slinky gasped, and he hurriedly started to emerge from his hiding spot when he head other footsteps and shrank back under his camouflage. His teeth chattered in fret. "Aw, Woody!" He gulped. He fearfully braced himself against the floor. He was so worried. Then the footsteps came closer and he recognized the Bulldog's and the crocodile's feet.

"Well, that was a whole lot of fun," The crocodile said sarcastically.

"Now, don't be a spoil sport, Snaps," the Bulldog said. "I warned him, and he didn't listen. So, I did the only wise thing to do."

"You think it will work?" Snaps asked. "Do you think he'll admit anything?"

"It doesn't really matter." Spike replied. "Either way, it's going to be an exciting night." The two walked away. Slinky gulped.

"Who are they talking about?" He asked himself. "Jack? What do they mean? Or...or is he talking about...Woody?! Oh, Woody! Where are ya, pal? Are you and Mitsy all right?" Slinky gripped his snout tightly with his paws.

* * *

Buzz and the others faintly heard her voice yell out Woody's name from very far away. They all looked at each other with worried faces and gasped. Jessie glanced at Buzz frightfully. "That sounded like Mitsy!" She said shakily. "Something must have happened to Woody!" Buzz stood up quickly, trying to decide what to do. He anxiously wanted to leave the closet and go out to assist his friends, but he didn't know his way around this building, and he couldn't leave those around him behind, unprotected when they'd been entrusted to his care. He clenched his fists angrily. He cautiously opened the door and peeked out, scanning the area, hoping to spot his friends. But he didn't see them. What he did see was the shadow of a patrolling toy up on the wall. He quickly shrank back and closed the door.

"Buzz, aren't you going to do something?" Rex asked.

Buzz's face fell and Jessie watched him closely, knowing that her husband was wrestling with himself inside. "I don't know where to find them," he said flatly. "I can't leave you all in here all alone." He chose to stay, but started searching the boxes for some sort of weapon or decoy. _Please let them be all right!_

"What do you suppose happened?" Rex asked nervously.

Buzz didn't want to think about it. _I should be out there!_ He kept telling himself. From what Jack had described about the gang and what Buzz could deduce, he knew that his friends must be in big trouble. "It's most likely that they were spotted." Buzz said solemnly. He was concerned, and his body still felt so restless. Jessie noticed by the way he refused to sit or stay still. Buzz was still so tempted to go out, but his friends here would be unprotected... _Jessie_ would be unsafe. Oh, she could take care of herself, but if anything happened to her and he wasn't there to prevent it...Okay. That was it. That's what made him choose to stay. Besides, Woody was a very clever and courageous cowboy. He could and would take care of the dog and the princess, of that Buzz could reassure himself. "Maybe Mitsy became spooked and they had to duck for cover," Buzz said, trying to keep the other toys from freaking out. "Woody knows what to do. They're probably hiding." Jessie glanced at him and she could see the concern in his eyes, but agreed that they had to be positive.

"But if something happened, do...do you think it's possible..." Trixie hesitated with her statement. "Do you think Jack tipped them off?"

"Anything's possible," Jessie answered. "I truly don't want to think of Mitsy's friend that way, I just can't help it after what happened. I hope I'm wrong, but his actions were pretty conclusive. Buzz, what do you think?" She looked at her husband, hoping he could give some clarifying answers.

"I honestly don't know." He said clearly. "Jessie's right. We do need to keep our guard up. But, Woody was right too: we can't just jump to conclusions. I just hope that Woody knows what he's doing."

"Me too," Jessie agreed, shaking her head. "I've just got a bad feeling about this."

"Yeah," Trixie nodded. "So do I."

* * *

Mitsy opened her eyes and looked up to see the assailants laughing at her. She and Woody were lying in the bottom of a tall cardboard box, and he was still unconscious. "What are you going to do with us?" She asked fearfully.

"That's not for you to know, just us. Better hang on to your precious cowboy while you can. Things could get a bit ugly later on, depending on how good you guys behave." Puss smiled, and they began to close the flaps.

The angered princess stood up and glared up at them. "You won't get away with this! You crooks!" Mitsy said sharply, clenching her fists.

" _Yap. Yap. Yap._ Enjoy your solitary." The flaps were shut and she could hear them being sealed with a tape gun. She snarled as she looked through the side slits of the box and saw the horrid toys walking away jeering. She turned her attention back on her sheriff, who lay there hurt and completely unaware of his surroundings. She knelt beside him and shook his shoulders.

"Oh, Woody," she said softly, patting his face. "Please wake up. Please! Please be all right." Woody groaned and slowly began to stir. He barely opened his eyes. "Woody? Woody, are you okay?" She felt a wave of relief.

Woody grimaced as he tried to sit up. Boy, did his head hurt! It felt so heavy. "W...what happened?" he moaned, his eyes were miserably rolled upward. "Where are we? It's a bit dark in here."

"They gave you a real good clunk on the head. We're in a box. Where? I'm not sure. I couldn't see. How do you feel?"

"Ugh. Like I was smashed against a brick wall." Woody answered, wincing and rubbing his head. "Ooo. Man. Aah! That...oohhhh!" His face was pained. His head was swirling inside.

"Here, lie back down." Mitsy said sympathetically. She'd removed her cape and folded it into a cushion on the floor. Woody was hurting too badly to protest, and lay down on his back. The little princess helped him rest his head on her cape. "Just try to relax," Mitsy smiled empathetically, and gripped his wrist. Woody barely opened his eyes and looked up at her, not able to see too well in this dark confinement though the slits offered some light, plus it made his head hurt worse to concentrate on seeing clearly. He weakly smiled at the sight. Here Mitsy was doing for him what he'd done for her so many times in the past when she'd gotten hurt...as a toy. He could see how the influence of Bo Peep's warmth and care was being displayed through another toy. All those years of the girls sharing Molly's room had become something special, and with this little act of assuring kindness he almost felt like Bo Peep was here at his side, taking care of him.

"Thanks," Woody said, patting her cheek. "I'll...I'll be all right. In a minute or two. Just let me rest for a few seconds." Then he squeezed his eyes shut. He massaged his sore side where his guts would be. This was one time he was thankful that his body was made of wire cores and cotton padding. If he was a human, his insides would be injured.

"They took the pipe," Mitsy stated, holding his hand in hers."Then they hit you! I dashed out of the box to reach you and...and...everything went black." Mitsy's face fell. "I'm sorry, Woody. That I didn't stay in the box like you told me to, but you were hurt and I was scared and...I didn't know what to do! I'm sorry."

"Just forget it, okay?" Woody said. "I mean, this is where we are right now. Ordinarily, I'd be jumping all over you about it, but my head feels too much like a beehive inside for me to be angry." Mitsy grinned sheepishly. They just remained in their spot for a few moments, then Woody tried sitting up again. "Well, it doesn't feel as bad as it did." He shrugged his shoulders and Mitsy put her cape back on. His stomach felt better too.

"Woody, I'm scared." Mitsy said sadly. "I want to go home."

Woody looked at her and smiled. "I know." He said kindly. "It'll be okay, Little Bit. Can you see anyone out there?"

Mitsy trotted to the wall. "No. Nobody. Just a bunch of crates and boxes. It looks like we're up on a tall stack of them." She said as she peeked through the slits.

"Mitsy?" Woody asked nervously. "Now, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but...but are you _sure_ Jack is still the same person you knew him to be?" Immediately he kicked himself inside for saying it. _Where did that come from? Darn it, cowboy. Why can't you keep your big mouth shut?_ Woody scolded himself inside.

Mitsy gasped as she turned her head to face him. He couldn't stand the shock and disappointment in her face. She grimaced, her sad eyes downcast. "Oh, Woody!" she moaned. "Not _you_ too." She slowly looked at him. "Jack is my very best friend. Something must have happened to him when we were kidnapped or we wouldn't be here. I was shocked by Buzz and Jessie's reactions. I _know_ that it was his voice that I heard! Just...just the thought that you don't believe me, it...I...I could expect the other guys to be skeptical. But _you_? I thought for sure you would believe me, that you would trust Jack. But I...I guess I was wrong." She trudged sadly to the other end of the box and sat down dejectedly on a small jar of nails, sighing heavily. Woody stood up and came beside her and knelt down. He didn't like to see her so unhappy. Mitsy had her arms wrapped around herself the way she did when she was frustrated, scared, or sad.

 _Okay, here goes,_ Woody said to himself. "Look, Mitsy. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"Yeah," Mitsy mumbled. She just stared at the wall.

"It's...it's just that, we only just met, he's been your friend longer than he has ours, and sometimes it takes a while to truly get to know someone new."

"But...but you guys said that Jack sounds wonderful, that I've talked so much about him that you feel like you already know him. As if you've known him for years. _You_ told him that _yourself_ when I introduced you!" Mitsy looked sadly, directly into his eyes as she said this. "You're right. You all _don't_ know him the way I do. But I've told you, Jack would _never_ hurt anyone, unless he saw them hurt someone else. Jack didn't do this to us. I _know_ he didn't, he wouldn't! Woody, are you telling me that you're going to lose faith in Jack just because we got into trouble?" Woody didn't answer. He was contemplating what she just said.

"Woody, do you remember when you tried to stop us from going to Sunnyside, and we went anyway, but you knew that Andy still wanted us, but no one listened to you?"

"I'll never forget it," Woody chuckled a little. "But if I remember correctly, _you_ didn't seem like you wanted to go to the daycare center because you were scared. You actually tried to return to Andy with me, before I...I told you no, then Bullseye tried too."

"No matter how many times you told the truth, it didn't make any difference. That is, until we got into trouble. But do you remember how you felt?"

"I _sure_ do!" Woody nodded.

"Well," Mitsy sighed, "that's exactly how I feel right now. Jack's a good dog, a great toy. He'd never, ever hurt us. He's my friend! But no one will listen to or believe me. Not even my friends!" She hung her head.

" _I_ believe you." Woody said, gripping her shoulder.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better." Mitsy said dryly.

"No! I'm not. I wouldn't lie to you, and I'm not lying now. I mean it, Mitsy."

"You do?" Mitsy asked, surprised, raising her head.

"Take my word, I _know exactly_ how you feel." Woody said emphatically, remembering the time Andy's toys thought he'd deliberately knocked Buzz out of the window and were more than ready to annihilate him, despite his pleadings that he was telling the truth. Then there was Sunnyside. He'd done everything he could to tell them that Andy had intended to put them safely in the attic, but out of their fear at a very uncertain time, nobody believed him, not even Buzz. "I've been there so many times myself. And that's why I believe that Jack is innocent of this crime, that he had nothing to do with it." Woody smiled.

"Do you really?" Mitsy's eyes brightened with hope. She looked at him, surprised.

"I sure do. Circumstantial evidence is such a cruel tactic. Anyone who has a friend as loyal as you to defend him when he's convicted without a trial has to be alright."

"Y-you _don't_ think...think I'm being foolish in what I'm talking about?" The princess asked anxiously.

"Not _this_ time." Woody chuckled. "You might have overstated the facts irrationally earlier, but I think this dog has definitely earned your trust for some reason, if you were willing to go _that_ far to protect his reputation."

"Oh, Woody," Mitsy sighed happily and she leaned toward him, clasping him in a warm hug, which he returned. "You're a real friend, Sheriff." She smiled, giving his elbow a playful pat.

Woody smiled. "Thanks. And we're getting out of here now!" He stood up.

"What? But...but how?" She asked uneasily.

* * *

 **Yes, this is the chapter where the action finally begins! The scene with Woody and the princess getting caught and imprisoned was inspired by Disney's 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure, the movie scene where Thunderbolt was knocked out and the two dogs were put in a cage.**

 **I'm sorry if anyone feels I was too hard on Potato Head, but, well, you know how he is.**

 **So, what's your deduction about Jack and this dilemma? Did he or didn't he? Who's right and who's wrong? Which is fact and which is a matter of opinion? Are they jumping to conclusions or is the truth right in front of them, clear as daylight? I know what happens, but I can't tell you! What do you all think? Please keep reading!**


	7. Chapter 7 Ambushed!

**Oh, should they? What if they get caught again? Thank you, FrozenFever123 for your review! It's good to hear your thoughts on the story. I just hope that you'll be able to read to the end of the story.**

* * *

"We'll flip the box over and I'll break open the lid by kicking it with my boot." Woody answered, taking her hand. "Ready? On three. One...two...three!" They rushed to the other end of the box and pushed against it with their full weight. The box tumbled down, bringing others with it, and flipping the two toys in all kinds of directions. Finally, they hit the ground, but the box was right side up again. "Ugh," Woody moaned, rubbing his poor, whirling head. "I _don't_ think that was a good idea, if I expected it to help my noggin feel any better." He shook his head, then winced from the dizziness. "Hey, you okay?"

"S-sure," Mitsy dizzily grinned and chuckled, trying to stand as Woody helped her up. "S-so now what?"

"Well, we'll try to push it down again." Just then, there was a severing sound above their heads. The lid was being opened! "Buzz must have found us!" Woody said excitedly. "How did he know where to look? They're gonna get us out! We did it, Little Bit." Mitsy smiled widely and shook her fists. _But,_ as the light peered down onto them, their expressions turned to fear. Instead of their friends, it was a band of fierce-looking toys: Puss in the Boots, the robot, the crocodile named Snaps, the scorpion called Stinger, a toy Sniper dressed in black and holding a plastic rifle, and the scariest, meanest looking falcon Woody had ever seen, even if he was a toy! They leered down at their victims. Mitsy screeched and Woody grabbed her, then quickly pushed her behind himself and backed up against the farthest wall of the box.

The hideous gang members plopped down into the box and inched toward the dolls. Mitsy was whimpering fearfully. Woody's heart was racing and he was sure his knees were going to fail holding him up, but he had to protect the scared little princess who was clinging to him tightly. "Stay away!" He warned fiercely. But he had no weapon of defense and they were trapped by the sinister figures who were inching toward them with creepy smiles. Woody didn't know what he was going to do! Then, to make things worse, Spike the Bulldog appeared out of nowhere and stood proudly in the midst of his followers! Mitsy shrieked and shrank back even more and dug her fingers into Woody's cloth sides. He reached back with his right hand and clasped it over hers, and held out his left one in a _halt_ motion. "B-back off! Don't come any closer!" Woody commanded, hoping he didn't look as frightened as he felt. _OH, BUZZ! I wish you were here!_

"We're back, _Princess._ Are you glad to see us again?" Puss leered at Mitsy, her frightened, small face peeking around Woody's side. She wished she could just evaporate into thin air, and tried to back up even more to hide herself, but it was no use. Woody glared at the cat and gripped his friend's hand tighter. Puss chuckled at their reactions. He stood with his paws on his hips and tapped his foot. "I warned you, Princess." He spoke up. "I told you what could happen if you guys misbehaved. You should've listened to me. So now you'll suffer." Mitsy clenched her teeth and clutched Woody's waist as he tried in futility to hide her from view.

"Let us out! P-PLEASE!" Woody blurted out, with more quivers in his voice than he'd hope to let out.

"How did you get in here, that's what I want to know," Spike said. Woody didn't answer. He squeezed Mitsy's little trembling hand and pursed his lips. "I'm the boss around here. You're a spy, _Sheriff._ " Spike was glancing at Woody's badge. "You've come to wipe us out, haven't you?"

"N-no," Woody answered shakily and gulped.

"Haven't you?!" Spike angrily stomped his big foot.

"No! Please just leave us alone! We...we just want to get out of here, no harm done. Please just let us go!"

"Sniper," Spike nodded and the armed toy aimed his firearm at Woody and Mitsy who stared in utter disbelief. He pulled the trigger and the two dolls winced as sewing needles were fired at them. Thankfully, the needles sank themselves into the cardboard, but it was enough to frighten the two of them.

" _Ooh, Woody!"_ Mitsy gasped shakily under his arm. Woody gritted his teeth and gulped hard.

"Nobody messes with the Spikes Toy Gang and lives to tell about it." The falcon stated in a deep, hideous voice. "What do you say, Big Boss?"

"Give it to them," Spike answered. All at once, the bull dog's marauding army charged forward! Woody quickly shoved Mitsy away from him.

"Get out, Mitsy! RUN!" Woody shouted as he was swarmed by the mob. Mitsy ducked low and ran straight ahead under their feet. She jumped up but couldn't reach the top of the box. She turned to see poor Woody held down from all directions by the firm grips of the assailants. He was pinned to the floor, flat on his back, and was being punched, kicked, and poked at. She saw the crocodile standing over Woody with a hammer, the bent end facing the helpless cowboy, ready to jab his eyes out!

"NO!" Mitsy gasped and searched frantically for a weapon without a second thought. Woody was her friend, and there was no way in the world that she was going to just leave him there, possibly to die!

"You want to test my gall, cowboy?" the reptile asked in a mocking voice, leaning down tauntingly closer to the sheriff. Woody grimaced with a pleading expression on his face, but to no avail. Spike stood there, watching in approval and grinning a loathsome smile.

Mitsy grabbed a pickaxe (just like the Prospector's, they'd dropped it when they came in), the first thing she could get her hands on, sprang forward and started swinging it wildly in every direction and screeching like a mad woman. "Stop it!" She yelled. "Leave him alone, you monsters!" She gave the Sniper a good whack, knocking him against the wall and dropping his gun. The brutal toys were bopped, shoved, and poked 'til she fell on Woody's boots, and after flashing the crocodile a look of resentment, smacked the reptile's foot with her pick.

"Ooo, a feisty one, huh?" Spike the Bulldog grinned wickedly. The others laughed. "A yapping little pip-squeak." Mitsy looked up at them disgusted.

"You savages!" She squinted with furious eyes and stood up, swinging the pickaxe back, but she was seized by the robot that squeezed her arms. "Let go of me!" She squirmed, then the scorpion came up and pulled her hair hard. "Ow!" She yelped angrily.

"Let her go!" Woody exclaimed angrily, looking up. The falcon was holding him firmly in place. The scorpion grabbed Mitsy's ankles, then she couldn't wiggle free. He and the robot were holding her in the air so she couldn't get away. Woody's eyes widened in horror when he saw something large and shiny. Pinch pulled one of her arms stiffly, holding it out from her body, and the cat held a large pair of sharp scissors, about to snap her arm in two! Woody gasped, and he tried to sit up. "NO! Don't!" He cried out desperately.

The one-eyed feline grinned a Cheshire Cat smile and started to clasp the scissors. "P-Please," Mitsy begged, barely able to utter a word. She was whimpering frightfully, looking to Woody for help, for protection, with desperation in her eyes, but he was powerless. _Get me out of this! Do something!_ Her face screeched to Woody. His heart was being ripped inside to see the horrible pleading in her eyes, unable to save her from such unthinkable actions! Mitsy, seeing that there was nothing her sheriff could do to save her, breathed deeply in preparation for the terrible fate and squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

But Woody wouldn't give up! He couldn't. He _had to do something!_ Still being held back, he leaned forward as far as he could muster. "NO! Don't, please don't!" Woody yelled out. The Sniper got back to his feet, retrieved his weapon and stood right in front of the cowboy, aiming straight for Woody's chest, and more than ready to fire on command. Woody hissed in frustration and fear.

"Eh...hold on there, Puss," Spike said in mock sympathy, and the cat's shoulders sagged as he pouted. "Not so fast. There's no need for brutality. Where is your tact? Look at the poor, unfortunate, weak-kneed Sheriff: just shivering in his boots. I'm afraid the big and brave cowboy is too squeamish to handle this. Maybe we'd better spare him the ugliness. Go ahead. Get rid of her."

"No! Mitsy! No!" Woody shook his head as his heart jumped into his throat.

"No, please!" Mitsy cried, and tried to squirm, but it was useless. "Put me down!"

"And tape him up." Spike ordered. The cat and crocodile started pasting Woody against the wall with duct tape, the Sniper standing at attention and preventing Woody from getting passed him even if he could, and the others walked away, each gripping one of Mitsy's wrists and or ankles, keeping her in the air, unable to protect herself. They were laughing stealthily. She thrashed around wildly but could not escape.

"Let Mitsy go!" Woody yelled. "Please! PLEASE! LET...HER...GO!"

"Let me go! Let me GO!" Mitsy shrieked, tossing and turning, unable to break from the hold of her assailants. Then they pulled back, making her stretch in midair. She looked up to see Spike, his horrid and creepy face hovering over her. Mitsy quickly turned her head away, unable to gaze at his vile countenance. He grabbed her hair and pulled it so that she had to look straight into his cold eyes. They were a mere inch away from hers, and she gasped frightfully.

"You want to see your brave sheriff alive again?" Spike smirked down at her small, mortified face. "I have a lovely showcase for toys like him, once I've turned them into trophies for myself, that is. He'll make a fine addition to my personal collection." He chuckled and Mitsy whimpered, shaking her head.

"No, please!" She squeaked, unable to voice audibly. "Don't!" Then he leaned over and jerked her hair down farther. She was hanging over, her head upside down and saw Woody being imprisoned to the wall of the box. His face was stricken with pain and worry for her and her him. Just the mere sight of anxiety in his face cut her to the quick, and vice versa.

"You already violated one law in this place, Your Highness," Spike said. "And once is one too many. Perhaps a suitable punishment will keep you from doing it again. And believe me, you and your precious friends will be too scared and too broken to try a foolish escapade like that again! When I'm finished with you, you'll all be too afraid to breathe! I promise you that, and when I promise something, I _never_ go back on it. Right, boys?" His accomplices nodded in agreement. "Take it from my partners, I'm a toy of my word! I _never_ make promises that I do not keep." Then Spike stood up straight and his dark expression hardened. "All right. Get this measly little pincushion out of here." He ordered in disgust, and they all climbed to the top of the box.

Woody struggled his hardest to get away from his restraint and charge at the murderers who were abducting the princess, but his efforts were totally futile. "NO! You beasts!" Woody bellowed. "It was my fault, it was all _my_ idea! Don't do this! PLEASE don't hurt her! Take me instead! You can do what you want with me. Please! Mitsy! NO!"

"WOODY! HELP!" Mitsy cried out desperately. Woody helplessly looked up heartbroken as his friend was taken away, hopelessness and terror pasted on her face as they locked eyes with each other full of dread, and the box was closed again. Woody shuddered uncontrollably.

Mitsy struggled against her captors, but she was outnumbered. She was terrified by all the evil eyes surrounding her in cruel delight. "Please...PLEASE let me go!" She begged, her heart racing at break-neck speed. She felt like she was going to faint. "AAAHH!" Puss in the Boots covered her mouth and she sank her teeth into his stuffed hand.

"Ow, ow," Puss whined, wagging his wimpy arm. "She bit me."

"Quit your whining," Spike said coldly. "Go ahead, let her scream." Spike grinned thinking of how worried her friends would be, hearing her pitiful cries for help. The horrid gang leader knew that hearing a loved one in distress would be more painful to them than their own deaths. But Buzz and the others were too far away to hear. Sadly, the only one of her friends close enough to hear her desperate, hysterical cries was Woody. Panic icily gripped his heart when the horrible sounds reached his ears, and with his arms taped down, he couldn't block out her voice. Woody panted violently. He had no idea what was happening to her, and alone in the dark, he imagined the worst and couldn't escape the frightening mindset. "Wait a minute. I have a better idea," Spike said. "It might break Jack's _poor little heart_ if we just throw her away. Follow me."

Mitsy didn't know what was in store for her, but it could be nothing good or safe, and she was so afraid. "Jack? Jack! Help me!" Mitsy screamed as loud as she could, like she never had in her life. "Somebody, _PLEASE HELP ME!"_

* * *

Slinky had been under the cart for a long, long time. He felt lonely and scared. He had been contemplating in his mind back and forth whether or not to go back and find Buzz or stay put. He glared at the patrolling toys marching on the rafters, metal shelves, loading docks, and packages. He heard someone approaching and braced himself. The soft steps came closer and he saw a pair of brown stuffed paws! He almost let out a yelp but stopped himself. "Psst...psst...Jack! Jack! Over here!" he whispered loudly. Jack cocked his head and looked in Slinky's direction.

"Huh? Who's there?" Jack asked quietly.

"It's Slinky. Over here, under the cart." Jack crawled into the shadows to avoid being seen by his gang members. Slinky crawled out from his hiding place.

"Slinky, what are you doing out here?" Jack asked in surprise.

"Hiding, like Woody told me to. What's going on? Where have _you_ been?" Slinky asked directly.

"I saw them taking you guys and tried to stop them," Jack explained. "When we arrived here, I immediately rushed to Spike's 'office' and begged them to leave you all alone and let you go. They jeered at me, especially Snaps the crocodile and Puss the cat. Spike really got on me about being so softhearted. Usually I can evade their suspicion, but this time Spike tried to get information out of me about how I've helped other prisoners escape when the gang thought that I was sending the hostages to their deaths. If he ever finds out the truth about that, he _will_ kill me!" Slinky gasped. "They bound me with a rope and threw me into a sealed box. Spike thought maybe then I'd think twice about doing my job. That's where I've been all this time! It's taken me this long to bust out of there." Jack paused, studying the smaller dog. "Slinky, you...you _do_ believe me, don't you? You can trust me!"

"Sure. Yeah, I trust ya." Slinky answered. "And I _do_ believe you. Buzz and the others are back in the storage closet...I _hope."_

"Yeah, that's the 'lobby' where they first bring in new prisoners." Jack sighed.

"But, the sheriff and Mitsy went on ahead, looking for you." Slinky said. "They've been gone a long time, and I'm really worried about them!"

"WHAT?!" Jack gaped in horror. "Tell me you didn't just say that! Are they crazy? Spike finds them, he'll murder them! Which way did they go?"

"Uh...uh, th...that way." Slinky nodded to his right, toward the wall.

"We've got to find them! There's no time to lose! Follow me, come on!" Jack carefully scurried through the shadows, his heart pounding like a sledge hammer. Slinky was right behind him.

* * *

Mitsy was all alone in total darkness. She couldn't see anything. She couldn't move her hands at all. She was flat on her back. She couldn't even utter a scream for help, and even if she could, no one would've been able to hear her. She couldn't do anything to free herself. All she could do was lift her legs up and bang with her feet, which was otherwise useless too. _Oh, Jessie,_ she thought to herself, _now I completely understand why you're so afraid of the dark and hate closed in spaces! I feel like this darkness is trying to swallow me up,_ _and I can't get out!_ She trembled and shivered. _I have no clue how you endured it for how many years? You are the bravest girl I know._ She was not becoming claustrophobic as the cowgirl would have if she was the one here, but the princess _was_ terribly lonely and really scared, not so much of the dark itself, but of all that had just happened and what was to come after. Also, seeing no light at all seemed like a dooming symbolism of what lay ahead for her and her friends! She felt as if the darkness was taunting her about whatever horrible fate awaited them. _What's going to happen to us?! What are they going to do to me?_ Mitsy's thoughts raced in full force dread. _Is Woody hurt again? Did they go back for him? What are they doing to him? Have they found Buzz and the others?! Are they even alive? Jack! Oh, Jack! Where are you? Why aren't you here?! Jack, please help us! You promised you would, and I trusted you. You've GOT to help us!_

She tried to picture her friends' dear faces to calm herself and tell herself that they'd find a way out and would save her, but it was just too dark and isolated in here to be sure of anything good. Then the panic in her heart pressed on the gas. _What if I never get out of here? What kind of t-torture are they going to do t-to m-me? I'm gonna die in this place, I just know it! I'll never see Slinky, or Rex, or Jessie, or Jack, or Woody again! I'll never see Bonnie again! My friends will never know what happened to me. They'll never find me in here!_

Mitsy wasn't sure if this would work, but there was nothing else she could do. _God? Dear God?_ She tried to pray, _I'm only a toy, and I...I don't know if you can even hear me! B-but there's nothing else we can do! Please help us! PLEASE! My friends and I are all going to die, and we have a little girl, Bonnie who loves us and needs us! I'm sure you know her, God: she's so sweet. Oh, God please help my friends to find me and get me out of here. I'm so scared. I'm all alone, and I can't help myself!_ _I don't want to die! Bonnie needs us, and we need each other._ _Please, PLEASE let us make it back to Bonnie,_ _ **together!**_ _And please open my friends' eyes so they can see what a great dog Jack really is! He's my best friend, and I know he wouldn't hurt us! Please, just please..._

Mitsy began to cry. _Oh, Woody. Buzz! Please find me! It's so dark in here, and I'm scared. Please get me out! Please find me! Please, please. Don't leave me behind in this horrible place! Get me out! Don't leave without me! Don't leave me here!_

* * *

" **...the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me." (Psalms 39:12)**

" **The pangs of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid."** **(Psalms 18:4)**

 **One thing that makes this gang extra brutal is that they use truly dangerous items on their victims, such as the lead pipe and scissors. And they don't give idle threats either. Even as intimidation tactics, if they say they'll do something, they will follow through!**

 **What are your thoughts? Should Slinky trust Jack? Do you believe him?**

 **Oh, Mitsy. Woody, Buzz, and the gang will tear this place apart if they have to to find you! They'd never just leave you behind, ever! What is it they always say? No matter which friend needs their help, they always say: "We're leaving together!"**

 **I don't own Toy Story, but if I did Woody and Bo Peep would've taken Mitsy under their wing as their daughter. That's the way she views them too.**

 **Okay, in case anyone gets confused, Sniper never used sewing needles in his gun before until he joined the Spikes Toy Gang and sympathized with their cause.**

 **Toys don't really grow up like humans. And Woody would be horrified for this to happen to any of his friends, but...but that's his daughter! Okay, like 'adopted', but still...that's his little girl they're attacking and taking away from him! And he can't do anything to stop it. What is going to happen now?**


	8. Chapter 8 To the Rescue!

**Thank you to everyone who has left reviews for this story! This is my first time gradually posting a big one like this, chapter by chapter and it's encouraging to me to hear your comments. Your curious, anxious questions are delighting me! Thank you again to FrozenFever123 for sharing your thoughts. I'm enjoying hearing your opinions. Of course, I know how the story ends, but I'm not saying anything!**

 **If anyone becomes disappointed in this chapter, I'm sorry it didn't meet up to your expectations and hopes.**

 **Poor Woody! We can imagine some pretty bizarre things when we let fear control our minds.**

* * *

Woody's head was spinning from the whack he'd taken earlier. It was very sore on the upper right side. He was dazed. He cringed as he thought on what had just happened. He felt miserable inside."I...I've got to get out of here and save Mitsy!" He said aloud to himself. "But how? What did they do to her?" Woody leaned his sore head back against the wall of the box. _This whole thing is your fault, you dumb cowboy,_ his thoughts said to him. _She wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you! It was your idea to bring her to find the dog. How dumb is that? What kind of sheriff are you, putting your friends at risk? You're a failure and a wimp, you big-headed rag doll. Anything happens to the princess or your pal Slinky, it'll be on YOUR head! You don't deserve their trust! You're a louse._ Woody shook his head, tormented by the dark thoughts pressing through his mind. But in his weary state and loneliness, he agreed with the voices of accusation pointing the finger at him. Always kicking himself for past failures and mistakes, he took the complete blame for any harm that came to Mitsy and or Slinky. Mitsy trusted Woody with all her heart. He was wise, brave, smart, kind, and above everything else, she knew that he would take care of her. And she loved him tremendously for it. He was supposed to be the dependable sheriff, and what had he done to her? He'd carelessly led her right into the path of danger! "If she...if they...I'll never forgive myself!" He cried.

What about Buzz? And Jessie? And the others? Were _they_ safe? Had they been attacked too? Was Buzz able to protect them by himself? _You left your friends,_ _ **again**_ _,_ Woody thought. _Now can you really blame them for staying behind without you at the daycare center?_ "Ah!" Woody wailed, trying to drown out the dooming thoughts swarming him. "What are we going to do? Wait...what is that noise? Wha...who's there?" he called out above his head, fearing it might be his torturers again.

"Woody? Woody, are you in there?" Came a familiar, southern voice.

"Slinky?" Woody's heart lightened. "Slink, is that you?" The flaps were opened and Woody saw to his relief, Slinky his ever faithful friend and...and _Jack_ peeking in!

"Woody!" Slinky called happily.

"Don't worry, Sheriff. We'll get you out," Jack said, and jumped into the box. He and Slinky ripped the duct tape with their teeth, setting Woody free and they all climbed out.

"Thanks a lot, guys," Woody sighed heavily. "How did you find me? Jack? You came to help me?"

"Never mind about that right now," Jack said impatiently.

"Woody, where's Mitsy?" Slinky asked.

"She's gone!" Woody said urgently, his face wrought with deep concern.

"Gone?!" Both dogs gasped. Slinky looked up wide-eyed at Jack, the bigger dog's lip was trembling. "W-where, Woody?" Slinky asked, his face twisted in anxiety. "Where is she?"

"They took her away," Woody said worried, wringing his hands. "I have no idea where! She may be hurt! I don't even know if she's still in this building. But we are NOT leaving 'til we find her! Jack, will you please help us? You know the way around in this place. We've got to find her! Please."

"There's no need to ask, Sheriff," Jack answered calmly. "She's my friend. Let's go."

"Oh, I hope she's okay!" Slinky said worriedly.

"So do I!" Woody grimaced. A hundred different, grisly circumstances were toying with his imagination right now. He couldn't shake them off. From the horrible cruelty he'd already seen, he knew that Spike and the others would not be merciful in any tactic, and he was driven with fear knowing that they had the cheery, small, poor, and defenseless princess in their evil, harmful clutches. Were they beating her? Were they playing frightening tricks with her mind, tearing her to pieces, or using horrifying tactics to drive her insane? He had no idea, but each new thought just filled him with dread. Slinky also was wondering what in the world had happened to his all-time special friend and side-kick: right now she could be enduring physical torture, or could be trapped in the enormous dumpster outside the warehouse, or maybe...maybe even...dead!

* * *

The trio entered a small lounge where there was a very small pose-able mechanic man action figure slouching and snoring on the floor against the water fountain. Jack stood directly in front of him. "Wake up, Lazy Boy," he said firmly. The toy kept sleeping. "I said wake up!" He shook the smaller man 'til his eyes opened.

"What do you want, Jack?" Lazy Boy yawned. "You're disturbing me."

"Has the boss been through here, with the others," Jack asked, "and a prisoner? A small princess doll?"

"What if they did? So what? I don't have to tell you anything, Jack. Now shove off."

Woody clenched his fists in frustration, and Slinky squinted angrily at the small man. Jack bared his teeth and he grabbed Lazy Boy and pinned him to the floor flat on his back underneath Jack's front paws, and Jack pressed his large nose right into the toy's face. "Where is she?!" Jack demanded. "You'd better talk if you know what's good for you!"

"Jack...I...I've been sleeping," the guy stammered fearfully. "I don't know nothing. I don't know anything! P-please, Jack! Don't hurt me!"

"Where did they take her? Talk!" Jack growled.

"I've got nothing to tell, honest!" Lazy Boy pleaded. Jack pressed his nose against him even harder. If Jack was a real dog, he could tear this guy apart, easy. Woody stepped over to them and leered with a dark look on his face at the puny, lazy guard.

"Talk!" Woody snarled. "You know where she is! She's our friend. Spill it, you! Now!" Woody pointed his index finger directly in Lazy Boy's face. The helpless guy was intimidated by Woody's sheriff badge, a symbol of authority and the cowboy's towering height.

"If anything happens to her, I will _not_ take mercy!" Jack threatened.

"And they ain't bluffing neither." Slinky added angrily.

"The clink! That's where! The clink!" Lazy Boy blurted out. "They...they said they were putting her in the clink! That's the truth, Sheriff. So help me!"

"The clink? Okay." Jack stood straight up and removed his left paw. "You'd better be telling us the truth! If you're setting us up, I _will_ be back for you!"

"It's the truth, Jack! I swear it! Please, believe me!" Lazy Boy begged, shivering.

"You don't spill this to anyone. Get me?"

"Sure, Jack. No tattling."

Jack glanced back at Woody and Slinky. Then he looked skeptically at the little man stuck under his paw. "Well, I guess we just won't take a chance on that," the dog grinned. Lazy Boy's eyes bulged in fear.

"I think we can help there, Jack," Slinky chuckled and he looked up at the cowboy who squinted his eyes and grinned sneakily. The two of them climbed up to the counter, found a roll of Scotch tape in the drawer, helped Jack tape up Lazy Boy really good, and then closed him up in the drawer.

"Hey, thanks, guys," Jack smiled. "That was fast thinking." Slinky just shrugged and chuckled.

"First-hand experience." Woody stated, remembering the monkey experience at Sunnyside. "And just where did _you_ learn to play bad cop?" Woody chuckled with his hands on his hips.

"In my line of work, it's not hard to learn. But sometimes it comes naturally, especially if you have to deal with rough characters," Jack smiled. "Come on, fellows. I know where we have to go. She should still be alive! I just hope we find her in one piece." Woody winced when he heard that. Jack led them to the human boss's office, but since it was Saturday night and the business was closed for the weekend, there was no chance of people spotting the toys. Jack turned on the light. "This is where it is," he said.

"Mitsy? Mitsy, are you in here?" Woody called. Slinky closed the door so no spies could peek in. Jack walked over near the bookcase.

"Over here!" He yelled. He was halfway standing up on top of a red metal, heavy tool box.

"Mitsy, are you in there?" Slinky asked, hopefully. No answer. The three of them tried to pry the heavy lid open, but they couldn't flip the latch. Jack delved into one of the desk drawers and pulled out a screwdriver. He stuck it through the latch and pulled back. It popped up and the trio opened the lid. They all gasped. There in the tool box lay the princess, her body all plastered with duct-tape like a mummy, her eyes squeezed shut in fear of the marauders. Her mouth and nose were covered too.

"Oh," Woody whimpered, his brows furrowed in sympathy. _Poor thing._

"Mitsy, it's us!" Slinky exclaimed. "It's Slinky." Mitsy slowly opened her eyes, afraid to look up, but they widened in relief when she saw her three best friends in the world! She squealed something unintelligible and squirmed. Woody slipped his arms underneath her and carried her out of there to a container on the floor. They started peeling the duct tape off. She let out a huge gasp when it was removed from her mouth.

"OH!" She breathed. "Oh, oh, oh. Am...am I glad to see you guys! I...I was scared you weren't going to find me." She stretched out her arms and legs, but trembled as she did. "It was so scary in there! I thought I was never going to see you again!" She cried.

"Did you think we were going to leave you here?" Woody asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're our friend, and we stay together. It's okay."

"I'm so glad we found ya," Slinky smiled, gently, happily licking her face and affectionately nuzzling his nose under her chin. She clasped her arms around his neck in a tight, warm hug.

"Me too!" Mitsy agreed, then her eyes lit up. "Jack! You're here!"

"Yes, I'm here," Jack smiled.

"I knew...I knew you'd help us. I...I knew you would." She started to calm down. "And, Woody!" She exclaimed happily. "You're okay! You're all right!"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Woody nodded, smiling back.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried about you."

"That makes two of us," Woody nodded.

"No, that makes four of us!" Slinky interjected and Jack nodded. He gathered together all the duct tape, forming it into a body shape, and closed it back into the toolbox.

Woody was so relieved yet weary after all that fretting. He was so glad that she didn't appear to be physically harmed: he didn't notice any rips, cuts, or other markings on her, for which he was extremely grateful. He still blamed himself though for even bringing her with him, for the danger she'd been put in. His head was still sore, and like a tidal wave, he felt a sudden current of frustration sweep over him. "Oh, sassafras and rattlesnakes!" He groaned, smacking his forehead. "Mitsy, why didn't you run when I told you?"

"I did," She answered, her face absolutely bewildered. She was startled by his gruff tone.

"Yeah," Woody snorted, "long enough to come to my rescue." He said dryly.

"Hey! You were in trouble. What was I supposed to do? Leave you there?" Mitsy shot back defensively, her arms folded and her eyes piercing like daggers.

"You should have kept going and tried to get help." Woody said firmly.

"And let them beat you up? It might have been too late then. You wouldn't have lasted that long." Her face grew sad.

"Look, you could've gotten killed!" Woody growled, raising his hands in frustration.

Mitsy's eyes narrowed in anger. "No worse than you," Mitsy declared sharply, squaring her jaw. "And thanks to _you,_ I'm not!"

"You never should have tried to help me!" Woody crossly folded his arms over his chest.

"Oh, hush." Mitsy snarled, rolling her eyes. " _You_ taught me better than that!" Her little nose was just threateningly below his bigger, longer one. The two good friends sat there scowling at each other.

"Shush it down, you two!" Jack hissed. "They'll hear you. And I don't take kindly to people speaking to my friend that way, Sheriff."

"It's not the first time we've had a spat, Jack," Mitsy groaned, still glaring at the ungrateful cowboy who stubbornly returned her gaze.

Slinky walked up to the cowboy. "What in the world are you barking about, Woody? Why are you upset with Mitsy? For howling out loud, she was just trying to help ya!" He said firmly. "She's right. _You're_ the one who taught us that no toy gets left behind. And it sounds pretty ungrateful of you after she saved your life. What's gotten into you, pal?"

"What kind of friend would I be, if I left a pal in danger to fend for himself?" Mitsy said sadly, her voice cracking. "You're my friend, and there was no way I was just going to leave you in there! What's the matter with you?" Woody stopped. He gaped as if he'd just been slapped in the face. He stared at his friends then shook his aching head to recollect his thoughts.

"Look, I'm sorry. _Little Bit_ ," he sighed. "I just realized what almost happened, and...well, it overwhelmed me. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you. You understand?"

"Yes." Mitsy answered, much softer now. "Thanks for worrying about me." She patted his shoulder. "And I'm sorry I yelled at you, _Big Guy."_

"I don't know what got into me. I've been a real dumbbell." Jack, Slinky, and Mitsy rolled their eyes and pursed their lips hard, trying to stifle laughs and wisely refraining from openly agreeing with the cowboy.

"Come on, guys. We need to get out of here, fast!" Jack exclaimed.

"Yeah, those bandits won't mess around once they know we're gone." Slinky agreed.

"I'll get you back to your friends and see that you get out of this place. It won't be easy though. Follow me," Jack instructed. "Let's go!" Woody tightly grabbed Mitsy's hand and they all followed Jack, depending on him to show them the safest way back to Buzz and the others.

* * *

After the gang had imprisoned Woody and Mitsy in the box, they'd decided to account for their other new captives, to make sure they hadn't gotten out and wandered around either. Though they were in a very unsure and unsafe situation, Rex and Trixie decided to pass the time by playing a game of Hangman with the sheets of paper and pens they'd found in the storage room. "Uh, well,...a C?" Rex asked timidly.

"No." Trixie shook her head and drew another line on the paper.

"Oh, oh, oh. I know! I...I think I know." Rex said excitedly. "An R?"

"Mm-hmm." Trixie smiled, nodding. Buzz and Jessie smiled at each other. If any of the toys could act blissfully oblivious to an urgent scenario and still get some fun out of it, or at least make it seem a little light-hearted, it was the dinosaurs! They were a funny pair, but still enjoyable to have around. Besides, Jessie was grateful their child-like occupation mindset of "Let's play a game." It was helping to take her mind off the scary business at hand, somewhat. After three games, Trixie shoved the paper aside. "I'm tired of Hangman." She said. "Let's play Tag now."

"Okay." Rex agreed.

"You guys want to play too?" Trixie asked.

"Are you kidding?" Potato Head rolled his eyes.

"Okay, never mind." Trixie rolled _her_ eyes. "How about you?"

"No, thanks, Trix. I really don't feel like it." Jessie sighed with a slight smile.

"It might help loosen you up."

"We're good, Trixie. But thanks for offering." Buzz answered. "You and Rex go ahead and have some fun."

"Well, suit yourselves." Trixie shrugged.

"Tag, you're it!" Rex exclaimed, touching Trixie's horn. "Come get me, Trixie!"

Trixie giggled. "Don't worry, I will. Come back here, you big speed-racer!" She happily chased Rex all over the room 'til she caught him. "You can't catch me!" She laughed, running away. Buzz shook his head and Jessie couldn't help smiling at him.

"They're something else." He whispered to Jessie and she chuckled.

"Yep." She agreed.

Suddenly, Trixie stopped in front of the door and listened. She had heard footsteps and checked it out. She'd peeked out the door then slammed it shut. "Everybody, they're...they're coming!" Trixie blurted out. Rex had never, ever seen her so alarmed or afraid.

"Who? Woody? Are they coming back?" Jessie asked hopefully.

"N-no! The gang's coming!" Trixie panicked. Buzz immediately jumped to his feet.

"Buzz, what do we do?" Jessie asked in panic.

"Okay, everyone, try to stay calm," Buzz said. "Come on. Remember the plan."

Spike the Bulldog laughed stealthily and opened the door. There, in the middle of the floor was the full, still tied trash bag. He grinned with a snarl. They all advanced on the bag and opened it. There was a thunderous roar and the bag was ripped to shreds. Spike was mad, and he looked more evil than normal, if that was even possible! His demonic countenance startled even his honchos. "You imbeciles!" He raged. "You plastic chops! They got away! You stupid fools! I ought to..."

"Easy, boss. Let's find them," Puss in the Boots said quickly, trying to pacify the ring leader's fury.

"If we don't, it'll be the Brick for you all!" And Spike stormed out, his conspirators following. They slammed the door.

"That was close!" Jessie sighed heavily.

"Nobody move," Buzz ordered. "We'll stay up here for another half hour, just in case they come back to double check." He and his friends were up on one of the high top shelves in the storage closet, lying flat on their stomachs on the boxes and hiding in the shadows. They'd stuffed a bunch of bubble wrap in the trash bag to serve as a decoy and closed it back up, just in case the gang came to find them. It had been Buzz's brilliant idea, but he couldn't have known though that it was at that moment when the gang had scurried away to attack the sheriff and the princess.

Rex straightened up from squatting and banged his head on the bottom of the shelf above them. "Ooo," he moaned.

"Rex, you okay?" Trixie asked and scurried to his side.

"Ooo, that hurt." Rex cried. "How are we ever going to get out of here?"

"We have to wait for Woody, Slinky, and Mitsy to come back," Buzz said. "We're all leaving together."

"Oh yeah? And what if they don't show up?" Potato Head complained, and everyone glared at him.

"Plug it up, Mr. Voice of Doom!" Jessie hissed. "They'll come back. We just need to sit tight."

"This is my fault. This whole thing is all my fault!" Trixie moaned a few minutes later, shaking her head.

"Trixie, there's no point in blaming yourself." Buzz said kindly but firmly.

"If I hadn't been so foolish, like a wandering child, we wouldn't be in this mess," the blue Triceratops whimpered and hung her head sadly. Rex reached out his tiny hand and patted her leg.

"Trix, stop that kind of talk," Jessie spoke up. "This mess was not your intention or idea, so it wasn't your fault. Get that through your head, girl. You're not responsible for this, okay?" Trixie sadly nodded. Jessie looked at Buzz who was actively observing the door for any movement again. He felt her gaze and turned to see his wife's beautiful face that was always ready for adventure, but this time was filled with anxiety. It always tore at him to see her like that, and he reached over, taking her hand. His grip was strong and caring, the way she always knew it to be. He nodded, his gesture and face promising her that they'd get out of this place. She smiled weakly and locked his hand tightly with her fingers.

* * *

The foursome group had been sneaking around crates, boxes, fork lifts, and docks. It wasn't easy trying to avoid being seen. At one point, Jack thought for sure that the boar guard with a pair of pliers had definitely seen them! He pushed everyone quickly behind him as they hid around the side of a large, heavy box. Jack had to lead them the back way of the box. They scurried under a metal shelf and remained in the shadows. "Jack, do you think we'll make it?" Mitsy asked, worried and hanging tightly onto Woody's arm.

"Yes. Somehow," Jack said dismally. "I must have ignited quite a stir tonight with my protest. They...they have more surveillance than usual." Mitsy gulped.

"That's not good," Slinky stated.

"Don't worry, Little Bit. Jack knows what he's doing." Woody said confidently.

"I'd sure like to fix them miserable good for nothings' hides!" Slinky growled. "The polecats! I ain't lettin' 'em put another harmful paw on any of my pals." Woody smiled at Slinky's determined protection of them and patted his old friend's head.

"That a boy, Slink," He grinned at the loyal dog.

"Sheriff? Mitsy, you two hop on my back. It will make it easier if they don't see a trail of toys. Slink, just stay close. Okay, let's go." Woody picked up Mitsy, set her on her dog's back, then he climbed on too and Jack crawled out from under the shelf. He slinked along quietly and took them onto a maze of piled boxes. He climbed along the lower stacks. "Sheriff, we need to go over the top, in order to reach the secret door in the wall which will take us straight to the closet. Stand on my shoulders and see if the way is clear." Woody did as Jack said and cautiously surveyed the area. No guards, nothing.

"See anybody, Woody?" Slinky asked.

"Nope. Looks like we're clear," Woody said.

"You _sure_ now?" Jack asked uneasily.

"Uh-huh. I'm sure."

"Okay. Everyone stay quiet." Jack slowly, but steadily climbed up onto the higher crates, Slinky holding onto the larger dog's tail for a boost. He reached the top and they quietly trotted forward until they heard a voice that instantly made them freeze.

"You! Stop! Stay where you are!" They all looked back and to their dismay, saw Pinch the robot and Stinger the scorpion, both holding hammers. They began to pursue them and Jack took off running as fast as he could, higher and higher up the boxes and causing the ones he'd already boosted off of to fall behind them to the floor.

"Jack, look!" Mitsy cried. Straight ahead, the ocean of crates ended and there was a huge gap between them and the ledge where the secret door was. Jack ran even faster. "We can't make it!"

"Hang on!" Jack yelled. Mitsy clasped her fingers on his collar and Woody tightly clasped his hands around her waist as the dog boosted himself and took a huge bound through the air, with the sheriff and the princess hollering. Jack landed, _on_ the ledge, But Woody's hands slipped and he fell off the dog's back.

"Whoa!" He hollered, falling back in midair, but grabbed a hold on the edge of Mitsy's cape. He held on as hard as he could, trying not to fall way, way down to the concrete floor. He gulped as he looked below him, then back up. "Hey, help me will you?"

"We've got you," Mitsy declared, taking his hand.

"Come on." Jack said. "Don't let go, Sheriff." He and Mitsy both squatted down to pull him up when they all heard a pitiful cry for help.

" _WOODY_!" It was Slinky. Woody turned his head and gasped as he saw Slinky. He was hanging upside down on a crane hook in the air. Pinch and Stinger were rushing to him with their hammers.

"Slink!" Woody gasped.

"Oh no!" Mitsy gasped. Jack wasted no time: he leaped off the ledge back down onto the boxes. Woody frantically glanced around then, hanging onto Mitsy with one hand, whipped his pull-string with the other onto another hook.

"Let me go," he said. Mitsy released him and he went flying through the air towards his friend.

Slinky was hanging low enough within their range, and Stinger reared back, swinging his pincher, intending to knock Slinky's block off with the hammer. "Aaahh! Nnnoo!" Slinky yelled and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Guys, hurry!" Mitsy yelled in alarm. All she could do was watch the terrible scene from her vantage point. Jack clomped his mouth down hard on Stinger's hammer and shook him around wildly as if the scorpion was a snake. Woody lifted his loop off the hook and flew right smack into Pinch. He fought against him, trying to dislodge the hammer. Jack reared and shook even harder 'til Stinger lost his grip and flew off and was smacked against a loading dock. The scorpion charged at Jack, but the dog head-butted him, then grabbed him by the tail, and swung him. The scorpion hit his head on the other hook, and tumbled to the crates, out cold.

Woody was trying to screech for help, but he was being choked. Pinch had his fingers around the cowboy's throat, trying to strangle him! Mitsy couldn't stand to see any more attacks on her good friends and she passed out from fright. Pinch bent over Woody, pinning him to the ground, making him more defenseless. Jack had helped Slinky down from his air hanger, and now they rushed to help the sheriff. Slinky wrapped his spring twice around the robot, startling him, and Jack head-butted him. The robot went flying, and Woody lay flat on his back on the ground, trying to get his breath back. Jack grabbed Pinch when the robot charged back at them and flung him up in the air, when he too smacked his head against the hook and tumbled next to his accomplice, also out cold. Slinky trotted over to the cowboy.

"Woody," Slinky whispered, licking his friend's face.

"Slink," Woody gasped, sitting up and patting the dog's head. "Are you okay, Buddy? Yeah, I guess so. Thanks." They both said together and giggled. "Thanks, Jack." They both said and laughed again.

"Hey, that's what I'm here for." Jack smiled. "Happy to help. You fellows all right?"

"Aw, sure." Woody and Slinky again said together by accident, which caused them to laugh again. Then Slinky wore a worried expression.

"Look!" Slinky pointed up at the ledge.

"Come on," Woody said. Up on the ledge, they found Mitsy lying on her side and she wasn't awake.

Slinky's lips trembled. "What's wrong with her?" He asked concerned and worried.

"I think she's just fainted," Jack declared, perfectly calm.

"You sure?"

"Yes," Jack replied. "If my gang members had attacked her, they would've taken her away with them. They wouldn't just leave a victim behind! I think she's okay."

"Oh," Woody sighed happily. "Come on, Mitsy. Wake up. Everything's all right now. Come on." He shook her shoulder and Slinky nudged her head with his nose. She stirred and started to open her eyes. She sighed, sitting up and gasped in surprise when she saw her friends.

"You guys are okay?" She asked excitedly. "I mean...you're alive?"

"Of course we are," Woody smiled. "Come on." They stood up and Mitsy hugged his waist.

"I didn't think you were going to make it. The last thing I saw...oh, Slink, are you okay?" She asked as she hugged him. "Are you all right, buddy?"

"I'm still in one piece if that's what you mean." Slinky said, grinning.

"That's not funny," Mitsy frowned at him.

"It was Jack who saved us." Woody smiled, and Mitsy gratefully looked up at the big dog.

"Thank you, Jack," Mitsy said fondly, squeezing his big paw.

"Come on, everyone. This way." Jack said. He opened the secret door, and they all slid down the long, square delivery chute.

* * *

 **I hope you all are enjoying this story. Please keep reading! Everyone who was expecting Buzz to come find them, I'm sorry for disappointing you. But don't worry, he's gonna get his chance to perform some acts of heroism! So, please keep reading.**

 **The next chapter will have more shots with Buzz and the others.**

 **Woody, don't be such a sore head. If things had been reversed, _you_ never would have just left the princess behind to be torn to pieces! This is no time to be prideful. **


	9. Chapter 9 Friend or Foe

**They hid on up on the shelves. He doesn't know what is ahead, but so far, this is one time where Buzz isn't taking _any_ chances on losing Jessie or letting someone lay so much as a hand on her!**

 **For those of you who asked for the previous chapter if Buzz was going to save them, your reviews gave me some small ideas to add to one of the upcoming chapters, so thanks.**

* * *

Buzz paced back and forth restlessly. Where were their friends? _Blast. I should've gone with them!_ Buzz scolded himself. _We should've all stayed together. Every time we don't, things happen. When they come back, I am NOT letting them out of my sight! Let them try. They're staying in my radar. Woody, where are you guys? We can't lose you, Bud. You're our family. I don't care what you said about staying behind, Woody! If you guys aren't back here in another ten minutes, I'm coming out to find you! You can argue with me all you want, but I've got to know you're all right!_

Rex had stayed up on the shelf in case they had to rush back up there for safety. Being the largest and heaviest toy, Buzz decided that the dinosaur should stay up there so they wouldn't be hindered trying to shove him up on time.

"Buzz, it's been way too long," Jessie sighed with worry.

"I know." Buzz muttered, rubbing his chin. "If they're not back in ten minutes, I'm going out to look for them!"

"Buzz, you can't go out there!" Trixie protested. "You don't know where to find them."

"Trixie's right," Jessie said sadly. She looked at her husband with pleading, begging eyes. "Buzz, don't go."

"I'll have to," Buzz stated apologetically, giving his cowgirl a sad _I don't want to, but I have to_ look.

"But what's going to happen to us?" Rex asked shakily.

"Fraidy Lizard's got a point." Potato Head said flatly. "What are we, invisible? You gonna leave us here to be turned into chop kibble?"

"I'll have you all back up on the shelf again," Buzz answered. "You'll be safe up there."

"Buzz, I'm coming with you!" Jessie exclaimed, rising to her feet.

"No, Jessie." Buzz shook his head sorrowfully. "I want you to stay here!"

"We're in this together!" Jessie retorted.

"You're staying here!" Buzz grunted. "I'll give them 5 more minutes." Jessie's face fell and she looked like she was going to cry. Buzz felt bad for having to be firm with her, and came to her and squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry, Jessie." He said in a hushed tone. "I don't want anything to happen to you out there." Jessie looked at him, and pleaded with her face.

"I can take care of myself."

"Jessie, no. I..."

"I'm worried about Woody and Mitsy and Slinky," Rex said sadly.

"That's the twentieth time you've said it." Potato Head stated.

"I don't know what else to do."

"Shhh. Shhh. I hear something." Buzz said cautiously. He braced himself to block any danger. "Everyone, back on the shelf," He ordered, helping them climb up quickly. Jessie was the last one to reach the top as Buzz made sure she was safe.

"Buzz, what is it?" Trixie asked.

"What about _you?"_ Jessie asked her Space Ranger worriedly. This time, he didn't climb up with his friends. He was still standing on the floor!

"Not sure what it is." Buzz answered, eying the door warily. He grabbed the screwdriver he'd used earlier to pick the lock, and backed up behind the shelf in the shadows, behind the boxes. This way, he could see the door, but anyone coming in couldn't see him, his green glow veiled by a pile of boxes in front of him. "Quiet!" He commanded his friends, and squatted down. The door slowly opened. Everyone was shaking and gritting their teeth.

"Buzz? Buzz, it's us!" Woody whispered loudly, before peeking his head in. "Uh, Buzz? Guys? Are you still in here? _Hello_?"

"Woody? Woody!" Jessie shouted happily. And she flipped off the shelf through midair down onto the floor. Woody, relieved, stepped inside with their pals. Jessie scooped him up off the ground.

"Whoa, ho. Hey!" Woody chuckled as she set him back down.

"You're back!" Jessie exclaimed.

"Woody! Slink, Mitsy!" Buzz exclaimed as he emerged from his hiding place and came to greet his friends. Words couldn't describe his relief. "Oh, thank goodness you're all right!" He patted Slinky's head and scratched his ears, making the dog chuckle.

"Oh, Jessie," Mitsy sighed heavily with sad, grateful eyes and rushed to the safety of the cowgirl's arms who squeezed her in a warm bear hug.

"You made it back." Trixie stated.

"Uh...yeah," Woody said skeptically, rubbing his forehead.

"I'm so glad you're safe." Jessie said, smiling at the princess. Mitsy just smiled weakly.

"Woody!" Rex exclaimed and jumped right off the shelf! He crash-landed right on Potato Head, sending his pieces scattered everywhere. Everyone chuckled.

"Woody, what took you guys so long?" Buzz asked seriously. Woody didn't answer, he just looked at his best friend anxiously. Buzz read the message.

"Sorry to break up the party, but we'd better not waste any time, fellas, or we're toast!" Slinky declared urgently.

"Jack!" Trixie exclaimed.

Everyone turned around and saw the dog walk in. Jessie gasped and pulled Mitsy closer to herself in a tight, protective embrace, Potato Head glared darkly, Rex backed up timidly, and Trixie just gaped. Buzz stood there in front of the cowgirl and the princess, ready to protect them if he had to. He eyed Jack uneasily. If he didn't already know he was a toy, he would've aimed his laser at the dog (in Space Ranger mode), and asked whether he was friend or foe. His sharp eyes never left the dog. If this pad of stuffing laid so much as a harmful paw on Buzz's family-on...on _Jessie-_ the Space Ranger would make him pay! _Where did he come from?_ Buzz asked himself. _Why did Woody leave the door open? What is this canine up to?_ _What's he doing here? He'd_ _ **better**_ _have a good explanation._

"What do _you want?"_ Jessie asked Jack defensively.

"Jes..." Mitsy tried to say.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? If it isn't Mr. Hit and Run himself," Potato Head remarked snootily. Mitsy hissed at him with bared teeth.

"No, no, no! Guys! Guys, it's okay," Woody protested, waving his arms. "Really. He didn't hurt us! Jack's here to help us!"

"Yes!" Slinky added. "He helped me find Woody and Mitsy after they got caught!"

"Really?" Trixie asked.

"He did?" Rex echoed, and stepped forward a little closer.

"Big deal," Potato Head spat, quite unimpressed. He had no problem displaying his obvious distrust of this gang member.

" _And,_ he's the one who showed us the way back here. We can trust him." Slinky declared triumphantly.

"It'll take something more powerful than your word, Slink, to convince me of that." Potato Head snapped. Slinky rolled his eyes and glared.

"Now, hold on. Let's not start that again!" Buzz warned Potato Head.

"Yeah. Button your lip." Jessie said to the spud.

"You guys got caught?" Trixie asked. Rex clenched his hands together, and his teeth were chattering.

"M mm-hmmm," Mitsy nodded with her eyes downcast, not wanting to talk about the frightening experience. She clung to Jessie a little, who stared at her and gripped her arm. "It was awful." She said in a low tone and Jessie sweetly patted her hair.

"It's all true." Woody spoke up. "And if it wasn't for Jack, we wouldn't be here!" He exclaimed, standing with his feet spread out and hands on hips in a stubborn manner. He was hoping his last sentence would put an end to all this rigamarole.

"And what are the chances of him helping us get out of here?" Potato Head muttered. "Huh? About nothing to nothing. Where was he when we were brought to this place, huh?"

"Ugh! You're impossible!" Trixie huffed at him, shaking her head. "Plug it up."

"We ended up in a trash bag...a _trash bag!_ That's our story," Potato Head said. "What's _your_ alibi, big fella?" His eyes narrowed accusingly at Mitsy's dog.

"Look, right now I don't care what you do or don't think about me," Jack spoke up. "We don't have time to stand here jawing! We need to get out of here now!" Buzz relaxed when he heard Jack say _we._

"He's right. We need to get moving, guys." Woody said urgently.

"Come on, let's go." Buzz commanded, and all the toys gathered at the door...except one.

"You sure about this?" Potato Head asked.

"Ggggrrr!" Woody growled, rolling his eyes and throwing his hands in the air, frustrated.

"Do you want us to leave you here?" Jack spoke up for himself.

"No," Potato Head groaned.

"Then move it." Buzz ordered, giving him a shove. "Move, move, move, move, move!" And so, the band of toys left the storage closet and snuck around. They stuck close together, following Jack's lead. Jack led them in the shadows mostly because that was the safest chance they had of not being seen. They crept along shelves, ducking and staying low. At one point, they had to cross from a line of shelves to a maze of boxes, but it was an area consistently patrolled. Jack sent Rex and Trixie ahead first, then made sure it was clear. Next, he had Potato Head and Mitsy sneak across and back up in the shadows. They made it without a hitch.

"Okay, next." Jack said.

"Uh, J...Jack? Jack!" Jessie whispered. Her hands were trembling.

"What's wrong, Jessie?" Buzz asked. There was fear written all over her face.

"I...I...I hear voices!" She cried, panic in her voice.

"I hear footsteps too!" Slinky gasped, raising an ear. "Behind us! And they're coming this way!"

 **Yikes! Please keep reading, if you want to know if they make it out!**


	10. Chapter 10 Voices of Doom

**So, what have you guys thought so far? I'd like to know what you think of this fanfic.**

 **Will Woody and his friends get caught again? What are they going to do? I mentioned in a note on my very first fanfic story that the Sign Language would come in handy more than Woody could expect. It is not to be underestimated!**

 **The story might have been more interesting if I'd put other prisoners in there to meet up with the main characters, but I couldn't come up with any. I was out of ideas.**

 **Some Buzz/Jessie here.**

 **For those of you who feel like Lotso has ruined teddy bears' reputations forever, don't forget Winnie the Pooh!**

* * *

"Everyone, down!" Buzz ordered, whispering loudly. "Up against the wall."

"But what about..." Slinky started to say, worried. They had to warn their friends, but they couldn't shout because the gang would hear and find them! Jessie waved to Mitsy, trying to get her attention from across the room. The princess's eyes widened as Jessie signed with her fingers to her.

 _Someone's coming! Get down! Stay low. Back up! Good. Stay there._ Mitsy and the others followed the cowgirl's instruction while she, Woody, Buzz, Slinky, and Jack all backed up against the wall in the shadows and squatted down as much as they could underneath the metal shelf. They huddled closely together.

"Nobody move!" Jack whispered firmly. They were were all shivering. The steps came closer. The scared toys under the shelf held their breaths. The footsteps and voices were right above their heads!

"He's usually very efficient in performing the assignments we give him. Never heard him complain, until tonight. So, what do we do about him?" One of the voices asked. Woody and Jack recognized it belonging to Snaps the crocodile.

"That all depends," Spike the Bulldog answered. "He's hiding something, I can just smell it. He _will_ do as I say. The new prisoners don't make any difference to me than any others that have 'passed' through here." Spike said sarcastically. The toys could hear the footsteps halt, directly above their heads! One wrong move or sound, and they would be caught! Jessie was trembling and Buzz scooted even closer to her, if that was even possible, as they were already braced against each other. She leaned her head frightfully on his shoulder, and he firmly, strongly, lovingly, gripped her hand.

" _Passed through here,_ that's a good one!" Snaps chuckled. "I never knew he had a soft spot in him. Pretty weak, don't you think?"

"Definitely." Spike agreed. "I'm beginning to think maybe he doesn't cut it after all. We can't make any exceptions."

"But after all this time, you're saying you're going to get rid of him? Won't that put a bit of a hole in our top line of fighters?"

"It's all up to him." Spike stated. "He'll make the choice. Either way, it's for his own good. His choice determines mine, and you know what that means." Snaps nodded in agreement. "I'm tired of his silly game tonight. It's like he just went through the roof. He wants to keep his job? Fine. If he doesn't break under our 'persuasion', we'll just have to teach him a valuable lesson."

"You mean the shrimp princess?"

"Oh, yes," Spike said in an oily voice that made the toys underneath him cringe. "The little weakling. Not much to her anyway, so she's perfect. We'll just cut her to ribbons a bit here and there, then show that big sissy of a dog what's left of her. If that doesn't do it, well, all that's left is to nail her to a plank, then throw her in the dumpster."

"Heh, heh, yeah," Snaps chuckled wickedly. "She'll never get out that way. And it'll be worth it to see the look on his face! Maybe then he'll think twice about back talk." Jack growled indignantly under his breath at that treacherous piece of plastic, just above them. Woody shuddered to think of what would've happened to their friend if they hadn't gotten her out when they did! Buzz and Jessie, on the other hand, were shocked and gaped at each other, horrified. They couldn't believe their ears. Jessie clung tightly to her husband's arm, and through the dim light of his green glow, he looked deeply into her equally green eyes with determination.

 _That's not gonna happen,_ his eyes spoke. _And we're going to get out of here, I promise._ She bit her lip and gripped him even tighter.

"How about that wimpy cowboy doll?" Snaps asked.

"Ah! That'll be too easy." Spike grinned. "We can use his arms and legs for future scare tactics easy, just like we did with his precious little friend." Woody clutched his stomach when he heard that. Slinky gulped and quickly backed his back end close around the cowboy, his good friend, hoping his springy coil surrounding Woody would protect him. "We can use his head as a trophy decoration in my 'office', hat and all!" Woody gulped hard and clung his hands protectively around his neck, but Buzz covered his friend's mouth before the cowboy could yelp. He removed his hand when he knew Woody wouldn't make any noise, and tightly gripped his hand. Woody looked at the Space Ranger fearfully. Buzz smiled at him to let him know he'd be okay. Woody relaxed and his breathing returned to normal. Jessie glanced sadly at her brother, but smiled to reassure him that he was safe with them, and he nodded gratefully. Jack glared angrily up at the shelf roof and Slinky bared his teeth but didn't make a sound.

"How about the others who got away?" Snaps inquired, referring to Buzz, Jessie, Trixie, and the others.

"I don't know how they did it, but there's no way they could've gotten out of this place unnoticed. No one ever can, thanks to me! They're somewhere in here, I'll stake my reputation on it. I've ordered everyone to send for me the moment they find them. If they can sympathize with the rest of us poor, unfortunate souls then everything's dandy. BUT, if they rebel, then they'll never see the light of day again."

Jessie gritted her teeth very hard and it took every thread of willpower in her not to screech or start gasping loudly. She wasn't sure whether the dog meant death or confinement by his statement, but either way, she was scared. She bit her lip and leaned on Buzz for support and...and protection! At least he was here with her, that's what kept her sane at this moment. He gently leaned his chin on top of her head, and she buried her face in his arm. He knew her extreme fear of the dark or confinement, just the thought alone could send her into a petrified state, and it always took lots of patience, love, and much reassurance to get her calmed down again. But they couldn't afford for that to happen at this crucial moment, and Buzz wanted his wife to remember that he _was_ here and _would_ keep her safe. She held onto him with all her strength, soaking in the calming assurance of his presence and thankfully, did not go into having a panic attack.

"Yeah," Snaps agreed. "And if we don't catch all of them at once, _they'll talk_ and lead us to the rest of their gang. They won't have any choice. There's no question, _they'll talk."_

"Yes." Spike nodded happily. "Our methods are pretty effective, wouldn't you say? And we never fail. Never have, never do, and never will. We'll see if the princess has changed her mind since we left her alone in that dark clink. Whether she has or not don't make any difference to me. Either way, I'm gonna have a blast tonight. The party hasn't even started yet!" Jessie and Buzz glanced at each other. The dark clink? What was that? Jessie was flabbergasted: had Mitsy actually spent a frightening amount of time, alone, trapped in a box or dark room, or something? Jessie couldn't believe it. Mitsy didn't mention it when they'd returned. If it was true, Jessie didn't know how the princess did it, how she could be placed alone in a sealed box or darkness and still come out in a calm state of mind. The cowgirl herself knew that _she_ certainly couldn't have! She'd never understand how the other toys could bear being boxed up, not even for a full minute. Boy, was she glad that she'd stayed behind with Buzz when Woody decided to search for Jack! Buzz was thinking the exact same thing at this moment.

Woody sighed slightly with a little relief. _We still might have a chance to make it out of here!_ He thought, feeling a faint spark of hope rising in him. _Apparently they haven't found her gone yet! Maybe we can escape before they actually do._

"If Jack doesn't let up, we won't have any use for him anymore," Snaps said, as they walked away from their spot towards the boxes...where Bonnie's other toys were hiding! As they came closer and she heard _his_ voice, Mitsy started shivering violently. She was terrified of that monstrous bulldog, and to know that he was within nine inches of her was overwhelming. She'd hoped to never see him again, yet here he was, close by, and able to find them if they made a single sound! Some cruel bullies she could confront, but this one was different. He was huge compared to her, and absolutely evil.

* * *

… " _Hey, what is going on?" Lazy Boy asked, yawning and opened his eyes to see what sort of commotion was happening this time. The Big Boss was in here, and Puss in the Boots, Sniper, the Falcon, Pinch, and he guessed that Stinger had been sent back on patrol duty and the others would too as soon as they finished their current business. And there was a wiggling blur of blue being held in the air by quite a few if them. It was a doll of some sort that Lazy Boy could make out, a princess doll. She was the one who'd disturbed his sleep, with her endless screaming and hollering. Obviously, the Boss was going to punish her for something. Lazy Boy shut his eyes again but covered his ears to block out the deafening screeching so he could try to go back to sleep._

 _Mitsy was thrashing wildly like a fish out of water. Next thing she knew, they were in a room with a desk and diplomas on the wall and a very tall bookcase. She landed roughly on the floor. Terrified, she wasted no time and started to scramble away towards the door on her hands and knees. But then Puss jumped right in front her, grinning smugly. "Where do you think you're going?" He jeered. Mitsy shrieked and tried another direction, towards the bookcase. Maybe she could climb up and they wouldn't be able to reach her. But sure enough, the horrible looking falcon stood stubbornly in her pathway._

" _I wouldn't do that if I were you." He chuckled creepily. Mitsy saw one more chance to get out..the air vent! Perfect! She and Woody, Buzz, and Andy's former toys had had many experiences using ventilation shafts for shortcuts, escapes, and other stunts. If she could just reach it, quickly force it open without getting grabbed, maybe, just maybe she could slam it shut before the crooks could stop her, then make a clean getaway back to Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Slinky, and her other good pals! There was no time to lose, and Mitsy went for it! She crouched as fast as she could. She was almost there! But no! Sniper pounced right in her pathway and aimed his gun straight at her! Mitsy looked behind her and shivered dreadfully as Spike and the rest of his present accomplices surrounded her in a circle, closing off any way of escape._

" _PLEASE! Please...let me go!" Mitsy begged. "Let me out of here! LET ME OUT!" The toys only laughed at her. She curled herself up into a fetal position and raised her arm to shield their wicked, sneering faces from view. "Help! Woody! Buzz! Jack! HELP!" She cried in distress with her eyes squeezed shut._

" _Think she's had enough?" Puss asked in a sarcastic tone._

" _Nnnoo." Spike said smoothly. "We're just getting started. Get ready for some fun, boys!" The other toys cheered, but Mitsy clenched her fists and raised them up to her face. This had to be a nightmare, only she couldn't wake up! Then she felt something poke her stomach. "Pay attention, Your Highness." Spike ordered. Mitsy didn't have the will power to obey. She was afraid to look. Then came the poke again, and also a hand clenched her shoulder and turned her over, forcing her to open her eyes. She shrieked again. Right before her eyes was an arm! It was a broken off, plastic arm that had obviously once belonged to muscular, athlete toy._

" _Oh, don't worry. It's real." Puss said cheerfully. "We don't collect fakes. Care to touch it and feel the authenticity?" Even though she was a toy, Mitsy felt a strong nausea in her cloth stomach and buried her face in her hands. "Go ahead, Fraidy Cat." Puss chuckled mercilessly. "Go on, touch it. Come on. It's not gonna bite you. Go on."_

 _Mitsy had had enough. She rolled away from him and right over to the feet of the Sniper who was holding something else horrible: it was the headless plastic body of a used to be little fireman! The Sniper shoved it in the princess's face and she gasped loudly. "I think we've scared her long enough." Spike spoke up, and his group groaned._

" _Aw, do we have to, Boss?" Puss whined. "It was just getting good."_

" _I think a calmer approach is sufficient." Spike said. Mitsy didn't look up, she was covering her eyes, but she slowly started to tremble a little less. Were they done frightening her? Were they actually going to stop their cruelty and leave her alone? But then, she could feel her hair being grabbed and held up in the air. She glanced up and saw the falcon holding it with Puss standing nearby with those horrid scissors in his hand!_

" _NO! No, please!" She cried out. "Not my hair! Please, no!"_

" _Hmm. What do you think? Is this short enough?" The falcon asked, pursing his fingers near the bottom strands._

" _Nah. Too long." Puss disagreed._

" _How about here?" He had moved halfway up her hair._

" _Uh-uh. Still two long."_

" _Well, then. How about...right here?" Mitsy could feel the falcon's claw fingers directly under her head, where her long, wavy hair and plastic noggin connected._

" _Perfect! I'm sure she wouldn't want to selfishly keep it all to herself when some other, poor, unfortunate baldy is trapped in this place." Puss smiled and started to clasp the scissors. Mitsy raised her arms, sprang up on her feet and ran with all her might straight for the door. She took a flying leap...but was grabbed by firm arms that wouldn't let her go._

" _Not so fast, Miss Prissy." Puss said sarcastically. He was holding her firmly as she uselessly tried to wriggle out of his arms. Spike walked up to her and glared._

" _All right, you puny cotton ball." He said sternly. "I'll give you one chance to tell me. If you tell me what I want to hear, I promise I'll let you go. If not, well, you'll never see your stupid friends again."_

" _They're not stupid!" Mitsy exclaimed in a quivering voice. "W-what is it? What do you want from me? I want out! I just want out!"_

" _That's better. Where are they?"_

" _W-who?"_

" _You know who! Your friends. The others. My employees tell me they got a whole lot more than just you and that cowardly cowboy."_

" _He's not a coward! You can't say that!" Mitsy yelled. Spike gripped her chin._

" _You heard me. Where are they? How many of you are there? What do they look like? You see, I must know, otherwise I'll do to them the same things you just saw from other prisoners before. Tell me! Now!"_

" _Leave them alone! Please! Please, don't hurt them." Mitsy pleaded. "They're my friends, the best I've got in the world. And we have a kid who needs us. Leave my friends alone!"_

" _I'm telling you for the last time: tell me where they are, and I won't harm them."_

" _You're lying! I don't believe you!" Mitsy cried. "And I'm telling y **ou** for the last time: leave them alone! PLEASE!" _

" _All right, that's it." Spike declared angrily. Next thing Mitsy knew, she was held down from all directions, and rolled over as she found herself plastered in duct tape. Her mouth and nose were covered too. She was on her back on the floor, unable to move her hands and unable to utter a word. "Any second thoughts, Your Highness?" Spike asked again. Mitsy shook her head but wore a pleading expression on her face. "Okay. Fine. Have it your way. We'll give you some time to rethink this matter over. When we come back, if you've changed your mind, I'll be happy to hear it. If not, well. It's bye-bye to your brave cowboy and the rest of them! Okay, throw her in." And with that, Puss gleefully lifted her up like a sack of potatoes and then threw her down into the bottom of a red toolbox. He was laughing hideously, then they slammed the lid shut, and she was all alone...in the dark!_

* * *

Here he was, so close to them! Mitsy started gasping, quietly yet heavily, and it was all she could do not to screech. Her friends noticed her reaction and they all huddled closer together for safety and assurance of each other's presence. Even Potato Head felt bad for Mitsy when he saw and realized just how truly scared she was, and he actually gripped her arm steadily with his hand to calm her. "Why don't we rip him to pieces 'til there's nothing left and leave it at that?" Snaps suggested.

"Nah. Oh no. That's no good." Spike answered. "That's too common and too easy. We need to use something more 'special' on Jack, something more colorful...like opening the furnace vent and sticking him in there really good."

"Perfect," Snaps sneered. "I like it." Potato Head quickly covered Mitsy's mouth, as she was about to shriek. She looked at him sadly, like she was going to cry. She was horrified at what the villains talked about doing to her best friend! It was bad enough that they were planning murder of any toy, but this was her friend! And...and Mitsy hated fire. Oh, how she hated it! She was scared almost to death of it, and now they were talking about putting her friend in...in...and chuckling about it! She couldn't stand it.

Trixie glared darkly through seething teeth at Spike and Snaps, though their backs were to her. Oh, if only they would turn to face her, the angry triceratops surely would've given those two rats a piece of her mind! The horrid toys finally were gone away out of sight and earshot. "Ugh!" Trixie growled. "The monsters. They're such barbarians. They make me sick!"

"Ooohh," Mitsy whimpered and buried her face in her hands, shuddering.

* * *

Jack, Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and Slinky quickly sprang out of their hiding place toward the boxes. "Phew. That was a close one." Slinky blew out a breath of relief.

"Too close." Buzz said.

"Much too close." Jack nodded in agreement. "Come on."

"I thought they'd never leave!" Woody shook his head, gulping.

"They're absolutely horrible!" Jessie sputtered venomously. "I've never heard of anything so wicked, the horrid bone-pickers!" She shook her fists angrily at the air and stomped her foot. They reached the boxes and stopped where they were. Mitsy was all curled up in a ball and clinging to Trixie, looking very, very frightened. _Potato Head_ was protectively patting her shoulder. They exchanged concerned glances and moved forward. "What happened?" Jessie asked tenderly. Mitsy didn't answer. She stared straight ahead, her eyes wide with fear.

"Mitsy, are you okay?" Buzz asked. Mitsy bit her lip and shook her head. She looked so fragile to the fearless Space Ranger. He'd seen that kind of look before: on Jessie's face, any time she'd had a bad panic attack after being alone in a box or closed in space, or darkness. That was exactly the way that the princess was looking now, just like his wife when she suffered from her severe claustrophobia. Buzz wasn't sure what in the world had happened to frighten her so badly, and he didn't know what else to say or do.

"What's wrong?" Woody asked. _What did they do? What is it?_ His thoughts swam. He'd hoped there would be nothing else to frighten her tonight. _She's had enough, more than enough!_

"It's okay, we're here with ya," Slinky said encouragingly.

"Honey, what is it?" Jack asked, stepping forward. Mitsy didn't answer. Instead she quickly rose to her feet and ran to the large, strong dog and hung onto him tightly. She hid her face in his shoulder, whimpering and refused to let go of her good friend. She was afraid to let go.

"They said some dreadful things," Trixie spoke up. "About Jack, and what they're going to do to him."

"It was so horrible!" Rex cried. "They said that..."

"Shut your trap, Rex!" Potato Head blurted. "We don't need to hear it again. _She_ don't need to hear it again. Now shut up."

"Oh." Woody sighed. He didn't want to contemplate the intellect of those bloody fiends. It was too dark, too evil. "Well, it's all right, Mitsy." He said encouragingly. "We won't let that happen."

"That's right." Slinky agreed.

"Precious, it's all right." Jack said, patting her back with his paw.

"Oh, Jack!" Mitsy exclaimed, looking painstakingly into his soft brown eyes. "I hate this dreadful place! I don't want anyone to die. I don't want _you_ to get killed!" Jack lovingly put one of his big, protective paws around her. "They said...they said..." She couldn't finish and hung her head, shaking it.

"You don't have to tell me. I have a fair idea of what they said." Jack answered solemnly. Jessie and Buzz sighed in agreement, with Woody and Slinky nodding.

"I couldn't stand to hear such...such filth." Mitsy gulped. "How can anyone do such horrible things?" She looked up at him pitifully, not really wanting an answer.

"I don't know," Jack sighed. "I know, it's awfully ugly and dark. I'm sick of this infernal rat hole, and I'm going to do all that I can to insure that no toy ever again has to lay eyes on this place."

"Jack, you can't! We need you. I... _I_ need you!" Mitsy pleaded.

"And I'll do my best to always be here for you," Jack gazed at her thoughtfully. "But, we really need to move! Just stay close to me, Precious, and I'll keep you safe." Mitsy smiled and hugged him one more time as he licked her face and then they hit the trail again.

"Everything's going to be all right, guys." Woody said confidently. "We're getting out of here."

* * *

Potato Head wouldn't admit it, but he was slowly starting to have a change of heart about Jack. The wise dog _did_ seem genuine and gallant. Nevertheless, Potato Head kept his guard up. He remembered to a tee how warm, welcoming, and trustworthy Lotso had appeared when they'd arrived at Sunnyside Daycare. Jack did seem to posses some of that instant care that made you feel like everything was going to be okay. But still, in the end, Potato Head, his family, and all their friends had been betrayed by the strawberry-scented teddy bear and had almost died. Ever since then, he was very wary of kind, loving strangers. He was determined to protect his wife and kids and that they would never come close to such an experience again. _Nice toys are dangerous,_ he'd drilled into his mind so that he could smell a scoundrel when he saw one. He honestly also didn't want to see Mitsy get hurt again either. If he was fair about it, after seeing the endearing connection between her and Jack, it _was hard_ to believe that the dog could be anything but honest. However, Potato Head wholeheartedly agreed with the old saying, "Once you've been burned, you fear the fire." So, he wasn't quite completely open-minded. But as Jessie had said, maybe he shouldn't have laid his suspicions on everyone so heavily. Yet, if it turned out that he was right and Mitsy did end up defrauded and broken because of it, at least he'd seen it coming and tried to prevent it.

The toys walked quietly through the maze of boxes, Mitsy keeping one hand locked onto Jack's collar. Even in this forbidding, sinister building, she felt safer in a serene way with Jack by her side. The toys stayed in a close group, making sure they were all together and accounted for. Slinky trotted solidly at Woody's heels. Jessie walked close beside Buzz, their hands interlocked. Rex and Trixie were at the end of the line, Rex staring frightfully up at the crates, boxes, and two patrolling toys far away, a hog and a sniper. Rex gulped and didn't look where he was going. He walked right into a forklift and bumped his face. "Oo!" He yiped and shook his head. The group turned and stared at him.

"Watch it, Rex." Woody said lowly but adamantly.

"Be careful." Buzz added.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" Rex whispered loudly and trotted faster to catch up with his friends. He surely didn't want to be left behind! They continued to walk on.

* * *

"But when we get out of here, how are we going to get back to Bonnie?" Jessie wondered.

"I've been trying to figure that out since we arrived." Buzz answered.

"We'll find a way," Woody said in a determined voice. "I just hope we can get there before she knows we're gone."

"Yeah, I'd hate to see her face if she thought we got lost," Slinky said dismally.

"Me too." Trixie agreed. "It would be terrible for the poor dear. She would be heartbroken."

"Let's just try not to think that way," Buzz said.

"Buzz is right." Mitsy said.

"Here we are, everyone," Jack said. They were standing near a big pile of crates and a large table with straps for a door.

"What is it?" Trixie asked.

"A conveyer belt," Jack answered. They all climbed the crates and helped each other up, then followed Jack inside through the still conveyer belt. Buzz's glow served as a light so they could see where they were going through the dark, square tunnel. Jessie stayed as near to him as possible. They came through more flaps which opened out into a huge, open room. There were tons of metal tables. Between them and the toys was an elevated gap, waiting to be filled with a large crate or box. Jack knew what this spot was, the hole was what his gang called "The Brick", a place of execution for rebel gang members and or helpless prisoner toys.

Ahead, they could see large garage doors! They were near the exit! And they didn't see any guards. "Yes! We made it!" Slinky barked happily.

"Yeehaw!" Jessie slapped her knee and hugged Buzz who happily returned her embrace. They were both soo relieved. "Hang on, Bonnie. Here we come."

"Let's go for it, gang!" Woody cheered.

"It's all clear! Okay, everyone. Forward!" Jack declared. Slinky sprang himself across the opening. Rex, Trixie, Potato Head, and then Jessie climbed over by his spring. Then they helped him up. Jack said he was going to carry Mitsy, Buzz, and Woody over in a single bound.

"Hurry up, you slowpokes," Jessie scolded. "We ain't got all night."

"We're cumin'." Woody answered, his spirits soaring that they were almost out of here!

"Come on, guys. Just a little farther and we're out of this place!" Jack said excitedly. They were running to hop on his back when a sudden impact stopped them in their tracks, landing in front of them, and pushed Jack off the counter.

"Watch it!" Woody called urgently.

"Mitsy! Jack! Look out!" Buzz cried out in an alarming voice.

Mitsy turned to look at him confused. "What?" Then she looked up. "Aaaahhh!" Mitsy screamed in absolute terror. Towering over her, was Spike!

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

 **Okay, so I'm leaving you guys hanging in the air, wondering what's going to happen next! Mean of me, I know. I hope you liked this story. What do you think is going to happen? How did Spike know where they were? Will they make it out alive? Is Jack really going to help them, or is he another Prince Hans of the Southern Isles? You'll have to read PART II to find out! If you want me to put Part II up soon, please leave a review.**


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